WEBVTT 00:00:07.940 --> 00:00:11.140 Welcome to her comeback. I'm so glad you're back 00:00:11.140 --> 00:00:14.359 with me. This is where 50 isn't your finish line. 00:00:14.400 --> 00:00:17.420 It is your starting point, the starting point 00:00:17.420 --> 00:00:20.140 of everything you want your life to be, the person 00:00:20.140 --> 00:00:23.399 that you are meant to be. I'm your host, Michelle 00:00:23.399 --> 00:00:27.140 Thompson, and we are proving that your best chapter 00:00:27.140 --> 00:00:30.320 may just be the one you haven't written yet. 00:00:30.350 --> 00:00:34.009 We'll continue each episode featuring honest 00:00:34.009 --> 00:00:36.770 conversation with women who have stopped going 00:00:36.770 --> 00:00:39.409 at it alone and have found their way to fulfillment, 00:00:39.829 --> 00:00:43.130 joy, and purpose in their second act. You'll 00:00:43.130 --> 00:00:45.729 hear about their struggles, their breakthroughs, 00:00:45.729 --> 00:00:48.729 and the practical steps that they took to create 00:00:48.729 --> 00:00:52.509 lives that they actually love. This podcast will 00:00:52.509 --> 00:00:55.149 show you how other women have made their comeback 00:00:55.149 --> 00:01:08.469 and how you can too. Welcome back. Welcome everyone 00:01:08.469 --> 00:01:11.530 to her comeback. I'm your host, Michelle Thompson, 00:01:11.870 --> 00:01:15.689 and I am so happy to have Mickey Williams with 00:01:15.689 --> 00:01:19.530 me today. Oh my gosh, she is so amazing. Mickey 00:01:19.530 --> 00:01:23.049 is a CSP, a Certified Speaking Professional. 00:01:23.430 --> 00:01:26.829 She's a member of the prestigious CPAE Speaker 00:01:26.829 --> 00:01:30.349 Hall of Fame, and she's also a TEDx. Speaker, 00:01:30.469 --> 00:01:33.950 I heard her talk. It's wonderful. She is a global 00:01:33.950 --> 00:01:37.349 celebrity speaker and a transformational storyteller. 00:01:37.609 --> 00:01:39.950 She was chosen as one of the best speakers in 00:01:39.950 --> 00:01:43.189 the country by Meetings and Convention Magazine. 00:01:43.659 --> 00:01:46.700 Along with some other heavy hitters, Tony Robbins, 00:01:46.819 --> 00:01:50.900 Bill Gates, and Jay Leno. Mickey's a former award 00:01:50.900 --> 00:01:53.799 -winning Vistage speaker. Vistage is the world's 00:01:53.799 --> 00:01:57.379 leading executive organization, and she is the 00:01:57.379 --> 00:02:00.900 master chair of two of their peer advisory boards 00:02:00.900 --> 00:02:04.980 and is now honored as the chair emeritus. Just 00:02:04.980 --> 00:02:08.099 when she thought she was semi -retired, she went 00:02:08.099 --> 00:02:12.000 viral on social media and is now officially a 00:02:12.000 --> 00:02:15.349 digital content creator. a .k .a. an influencer 00:02:15.349 --> 00:02:20.469 at 82. She's based here in Naples, Florida, and 00:02:20.469 --> 00:02:23.610 this busy entrepreneur runs speaker schools, 00:02:23.750 --> 00:02:28.090 the Mickey Mouth Club, keynote camp, and outrageous 00:02:28.090 --> 00:02:30.990 orders, and is listed in Forbes as one of the 00:02:30.990 --> 00:02:34.330 top executive speech coaches. Just this month, 00:02:34.330 --> 00:02:38.330 she went viral on TikTok with one million views. 00:02:38.610 --> 00:02:41.389 It's incredible. She's spoken in every U .S. 00:02:41.490 --> 00:02:45.659 state. every Canadian province and every continent 00:02:45.659 --> 00:02:50.699 except Antarctica. And so sad she can't wear 00:02:50.699 --> 00:02:54.020 her stilettos there. She is still at 82 in her 00:02:54.020 --> 00:02:57.180 stilettos. Mickey, thank you so much for coming 00:02:57.180 --> 00:03:00.460 on. Welcome. Oh, Michelle, it's a pleasure to 00:03:00.460 --> 00:03:02.479 be here. Thank you for that wonderful introduction 00:03:02.479 --> 00:03:07.780 that I wrote. Yeah. Fantastic job. What an incredible, 00:03:07.939 --> 00:03:11.340 just phenomenal life that you've had, huh? Yes, 00:03:11.340 --> 00:03:14.139 I'm very blessed and very grateful and didn't 00:03:14.139 --> 00:03:16.599 come without as hard knocks like everybody else's. 00:03:16.780 --> 00:03:20.259 But yeah, we're here and thriving. That's right. 00:03:20.439 --> 00:03:22.620 Well, so I just want to jump into it and tell 00:03:22.620 --> 00:03:25.340 our audience more about you and just how you 00:03:25.340 --> 00:03:28.500 got to be in the place that you are today. So 00:03:28.500 --> 00:03:32.879 going way back in time, there was a real critical 00:03:32.879 --> 00:03:35.240 turning point for you. It was actually back in 00:03:35.240 --> 00:03:39.229 the seventies, you were 28 years old and you 00:03:39.229 --> 00:03:41.409 were living the dream that you'd want. You wanted 00:03:41.409 --> 00:03:44.409 to have a child and be married and children. 00:03:44.689 --> 00:03:47.370 And then in an instant, everything changed. Can 00:03:47.370 --> 00:03:50.330 you take us back to that night when your husband 00:03:50.330 --> 00:03:52.789 passed? And what do you remember most about that 00:03:52.789 --> 00:03:56.669 moment? Well, the little more context is that 00:03:56.669 --> 00:04:00.090 I grew up as an only child, but with a mom, no 00:04:00.090 --> 00:04:02.650 brothers and sisters and a dad. So my dream truly 00:04:02.650 --> 00:04:06.009 was to be a housewife and mother. and have a 00:04:06.009 --> 00:04:08.629 bunch of little rugrats running around in the 00:04:08.629 --> 00:04:11.349 suburbs somewhere. And I was living my dream. 00:04:11.490 --> 00:04:13.629 I married my college sweetheart. We moved to 00:04:13.629 --> 00:04:15.669 the suburbs. We were saving money for our first 00:04:15.669 --> 00:04:19.389 homes and he had a great job and so did I. And 00:04:19.389 --> 00:04:21.389 then I gave mine up. So I was a stay at home 00:04:21.389 --> 00:04:24.310 wife. And then I got pregnant. So I was now a 00:04:24.310 --> 00:04:26.589 mom and I'd achieved everything I wanted. And 00:04:26.589 --> 00:04:29.529 yes, he was working for IBM at the time and came 00:04:29.529 --> 00:04:33.189 home from work and never made it. I got a knock 00:04:33.189 --> 00:04:35.290 at the door at two in the morning. that he was 00:04:35.290 --> 00:04:37.769 29 years old and killed in a car accident. My 00:04:37.769 --> 00:04:41.509 son was two. I was not working. I had a mortgage, 00:04:41.730 --> 00:04:44.949 no job, and very little life insurance. So I 00:04:44.949 --> 00:04:46.930 guess one would call that, at least I would, 00:04:47.009 --> 00:04:49.990 my defining moment when everything in my life 00:04:49.990 --> 00:04:53.790 changed. Wow. I can't imagine. And you mentioned 00:04:53.790 --> 00:04:56.089 this in your TED Talk, just being so young. I 00:04:56.089 --> 00:04:59.930 mean, nobody thinks at 28, 29 years old to have 00:04:59.930 --> 00:05:03.129 something so devastating and tragic happen. So 00:05:03.129 --> 00:05:05.769 you went from having one goal in life, talking 00:05:05.769 --> 00:05:09.769 about being a wife and mother, to juggling four 00:05:09.769 --> 00:05:12.490 careers. Nine. Nine. You're behind the time. 00:05:12.509 --> 00:05:17.110 Oh my goodness. Nine. Wow. So how did you reconcile 00:05:17.110 --> 00:05:21.329 when you lost your original dream with now discovering 00:05:21.329 --> 00:05:23.790 all these new capabilities that you didn't know 00:05:23.790 --> 00:05:26.740 you had? Yeah, it's a great question because 00:05:26.740 --> 00:05:28.860 when I have Reflect Back and I've been asked 00:05:28.860 --> 00:05:31.500 that question countless times in interviews and 00:05:31.500 --> 00:05:34.920 in many other places, I just started using my 00:05:34.920 --> 00:05:38.620 natural talents and digging deep to see what 00:05:38.620 --> 00:05:41.279 those were. And at the time, I had been a professional 00:05:41.279 --> 00:05:43.959 dancer. I'd given that up. So I took the boom 00:05:43.959 --> 00:05:46.339 box in those days where you got young listeners. 00:05:46.379 --> 00:05:48.519 That's a radio kind of thing that's carried with 00:05:48.519 --> 00:05:50.259 you with little cassette tapes. And you probably 00:05:50.259 --> 00:05:52.980 don't even know what that is. And I'd go to the 00:05:52.980 --> 00:05:55.329 Y and all these places. started teaching dance 00:05:55.329 --> 00:05:57.329 because that's the only I had no skills I was 00:05:57.329 --> 00:06:00.829 a physical education instructor and so I started 00:06:00.829 --> 00:06:03.110 teaching dance and then somebody else said well 00:06:03.110 --> 00:06:04.910 you're a great cook why don't you start a catering 00:06:04.910 --> 00:06:06.290 business and I said well I don't know anything 00:06:06.290 --> 00:06:08.600 about business And they also said, well, come 00:06:08.600 --> 00:06:11.040 on, I'll hire you. So that, all of a sudden, 00:06:11.120 --> 00:06:13.540 I had two careers. I was this dance teacher and 00:06:13.540 --> 00:06:17.040 I was this caterer. And back then, nobody, women 00:06:17.040 --> 00:06:19.379 weren't even working. And so I became like a 00:06:19.379 --> 00:06:21.879 media sensation. Everybody started interviewing 00:06:21.879 --> 00:06:24.620 me. How are you juggling four careers at the 00:06:24.620 --> 00:06:27.180 time? I was belly dancing on the side. Although 00:06:27.180 --> 00:06:29.199 I always hate to admit that. I always say my 00:06:29.199 --> 00:06:31.339 son Jason stood behind me and jiggled the furniture 00:06:31.339 --> 00:06:34.949 to look like I was moving. That's awesome. The 00:06:34.949 --> 00:06:37.250 answer to the question was the same that I would 00:06:37.250 --> 00:06:41.310 say today. I just dug deep. What skills do I 00:06:41.310 --> 00:06:44.290 have? What can I do? I'm a good cook and I was 00:06:44.290 --> 00:06:47.209 a dancer, so I started doing that and they were 00:06:47.209 --> 00:06:50.569 successful and little by little I realized I 00:06:50.569 --> 00:06:53.129 was a real entrepreneur as I kept going because 00:06:53.129 --> 00:06:54.990 I built the business, the dance business, to 00:06:54.990 --> 00:06:57.720 one of the best and biggest in the country. And 00:06:57.720 --> 00:07:00.060 then I had a dance student named Martha Stewart 00:07:00.060 --> 00:07:02.379 and we started our catering businesses together 00:07:02.379 --> 00:07:05.860 at the same time in 1978. I'm actually featured 00:07:05.860 --> 00:07:09.439 in her autobiography, Martha Inc. And so things 00:07:09.439 --> 00:07:12.740 started to happen. And once I, you know, then 00:07:12.740 --> 00:07:15.060 fitness came in and I realized I was a phys ed 00:07:15.060 --> 00:07:18.000 teacher. So my dance studio became a health club 00:07:18.000 --> 00:07:21.259 and everything just one began another. And people 00:07:21.259 --> 00:07:23.639 always ask me, how do you do that? I said, you 00:07:23.639 --> 00:07:25.540 know, that old expression, what's the worst thing 00:07:25.540 --> 00:07:29.089 that could happen? Well, it did. So I am fearless 00:07:29.089 --> 00:07:31.689 and I embrace change. And those are two things 00:07:31.689 --> 00:07:34.750 that most people don't. And after the nine careers 00:07:34.750 --> 00:07:37.389 and selling the last one, having an opportunity 00:07:37.389 --> 00:07:40.250 for my 35 year professional speaking career, 00:07:40.629 --> 00:07:43.589 where I was able to share these stories and empower 00:07:43.589 --> 00:07:47.850 and inspire others that despite whatever defining 00:07:47.850 --> 00:07:51.009 moment you have, we all have untapped potential. 00:07:51.589 --> 00:07:54.449 I was forced to find it. Most of you have a choice 00:07:54.449 --> 00:07:58.209 to use it. And that became my message. And I 00:07:58.209 --> 00:08:00.850 heard that quote in your TED Talk. You said, 00:08:01.009 --> 00:08:04.310 it's amazing what we can do when forced to find 00:08:04.310 --> 00:08:08.370 our potential. So true. So just to go back real 00:08:08.370 --> 00:08:10.949 quick to the early days again, and before all 00:08:10.949 --> 00:08:12.930 these things happened that you were just describing, 00:08:13.610 --> 00:08:16.069 was there a moment that you can describe when 00:08:16.069 --> 00:08:19.269 you first realized, I'm going to survive this. 00:08:19.670 --> 00:08:24.430 I'm going to be OK. Do you remember that? Possibly 00:08:24.430 --> 00:08:27.050 this is the answer to it. I was choreographing 00:08:27.050 --> 00:08:30.149 Fiddler on the Roof at the time. I was very involved 00:08:30.149 --> 00:08:32.789 in local theater, again, using my natural skills, 00:08:32.830 --> 00:08:35.750 my dance. And it was directed by a woman named 00:08:35.750 --> 00:08:38.309 Brenda Lewis Cooper, who was an opera star at 00:08:38.309 --> 00:08:41.710 the time, a very strong woman. And other than 00:08:41.710 --> 00:08:44.009 my mother, I had never met someone like Brenda 00:08:44.009 --> 00:08:46.929 Lewis Cooper. And she came over the house during 00:08:46.929 --> 00:08:49.960 my grieving and mourning days. And she said, 00:08:49.980 --> 00:08:51.580 well, what are you going to do now? And I was 00:08:51.580 --> 00:08:53.980 kind of, I guess, in my own little pity party 00:08:53.980 --> 00:08:56.700 at that point. It was still so fresh. And she 00:08:56.700 --> 00:08:59.379 says, well, you got a kid. You got a two -year 00:08:59.379 --> 00:09:01.980 -old. You're in the middle of a show. Get up. 00:09:02.039 --> 00:09:04.159 Stop feeling sorry for yourself. You got a whole 00:09:04.159 --> 00:09:07.080 life ahead of you and for Jason. And she was 00:09:07.080 --> 00:09:10.600 just the catalyst for me to go back to choreography. 00:09:10.940 --> 00:09:13.440 And then I realized, Michelle, that what I was 00:09:13.440 --> 00:09:15.419 also doing was trying to stay one step ahead 00:09:15.419 --> 00:09:18.460 of my pain. I was dancing, I was catering, I 00:09:18.460 --> 00:09:21.600 was teaching, I was performing. I was just busy 00:09:21.600 --> 00:09:24.080 and taking care of my son. And every time I looked 00:09:24.080 --> 00:09:27.139 at him, there was my reason. There was really 00:09:27.139 --> 00:09:29.519 no more time. As I said, also my speech was self 00:09:29.519 --> 00:09:32.519 -pity. There was this little child and we had 00:09:32.519 --> 00:09:35.259 to do what we had to do. And later on in life, 00:09:35.500 --> 00:09:38.360 I had said to somebody, well, I had no choice. 00:09:38.600 --> 00:09:41.639 And somebody very brilliantly said to me, you 00:09:41.639 --> 00:09:44.200 did have a choice. You could have gone on welfare. 00:09:44.340 --> 00:09:46.279 You could have had a lifelong pity party. You 00:09:46.279 --> 00:09:49.039 could have taken to drink or drugs. And that 00:09:49.039 --> 00:09:51.480 was eye opening when she said you did have a 00:09:51.480 --> 00:09:53.519 choice. And that also became part of my speech, 00:09:53.559 --> 00:09:56.139 letting people know no matter what circumstance, 00:09:56.259 --> 00:09:58.659 no matter what happens to you, we do have choices. 00:09:59.740 --> 00:10:02.940 Absolutely. I love, love, love that. And I love 00:10:02.940 --> 00:10:05.059 something else that I've heard you talk about. 00:10:05.580 --> 00:10:08.940 You talk about creating an experience list instead 00:10:08.940 --> 00:10:12.659 of a bucket list. So tell us about that. Well, 00:10:12.740 --> 00:10:15.700 a bucket list is things to do before you die. 00:10:16.809 --> 00:10:19.409 I don't like that, maybe because I came from 00:10:19.409 --> 00:10:22.029 that tragic part of my life where someone so 00:10:22.029 --> 00:10:24.730 young died and I never experienced that. So I 00:10:24.730 --> 00:10:27.929 decided an experience list instead of a bucket 00:10:27.929 --> 00:10:30.330 list because those are things to do while fully 00:10:30.330 --> 00:10:32.850 alive. And you know that's what my Ted Talk was 00:10:32.850 --> 00:10:36.629 about. And I believe that you manifest this because 00:10:36.629 --> 00:10:39.350 I actually did it. So my experience list had 00:10:39.350 --> 00:10:41.769 things like, I want to drive at the Indy 500. 00:10:42.029 --> 00:10:46.169 I want to waltz in Vienna. I want to, you know. 00:10:46.190 --> 00:10:47.490 I don't even remember all the things I had, but 00:10:47.490 --> 00:10:49.529 I manifested all of them. I want to go to the 00:10:49.529 --> 00:10:52.960 Kentucky Derby. And so the Indy 500 did happen. 00:10:53.019 --> 00:10:55.460 The Kentucky Derby did happen. The Walsing in 00:10:55.460 --> 00:10:58.399 Vienna did happen. And if we had a long time, 00:10:58.460 --> 00:11:00.179 I could tell you how each one of them happened. 00:11:00.519 --> 00:11:03.580 But I believe I manifested them because I wrote 00:11:03.580 --> 00:11:07.100 them down as an experience list. A bucket list 00:11:07.100 --> 00:11:10.440 is just items, and it's a list. And we now know, 00:11:10.460 --> 00:11:13.299 because I'm a passionate storyteller, that the 00:11:13.299 --> 00:11:16.139 brain doesn't hold onto lists, but it holds onto 00:11:16.139 --> 00:11:19.639 stories. So each one of my sentences that I wrote 00:11:19.639 --> 00:11:22.690 was not a list. I didn't put Indy 500. I didn't 00:11:22.690 --> 00:11:25.629 put Kentucky Derby. I put, I don't want to go 00:11:25.629 --> 00:11:28.049 to the Kentucky Derby and sit in Millionaire's 00:11:28.049 --> 00:11:30.210 Row while drinking a mint julep and wearing an 00:11:30.210 --> 00:11:33.409 outrageously large hat. Well, that's a mini story. 00:11:33.909 --> 00:11:37.169 And my brain took over. And because of that, 00:11:37.250 --> 00:11:41.029 I believe I manifested it. Tell us about the 00:11:41.029 --> 00:11:45.019 Indy 500. Amazing. How did you do that? I was 00:11:45.019 --> 00:11:47.480 giving a speech, and I was in my speech. I used 00:11:47.480 --> 00:11:49.379 to talk about the difference between a bucket 00:11:49.379 --> 00:11:52.059 list and an experience list. And when I was in 00:11:52.059 --> 00:11:54.820 Indianapolis, and I remember exactly, and a woman 00:11:54.820 --> 00:11:56.779 came up to me at the end of my speech. She said, 00:11:56.799 --> 00:11:59.120 I think I can make your indie dreams come true. 00:11:59.539 --> 00:12:02.779 And I said, wow, OK, I'm open to it. And she 00:12:02.779 --> 00:12:05.159 said, I'm not sure what I can do, but I own one 00:12:05.159 --> 00:12:07.500 of the largest General Motors dealerships in 00:12:07.500 --> 00:12:09.639 the country, and we have a presence at the Indy. 00:12:09.799 --> 00:12:12.460 And I'll get back to you. Now, Michelle, my friend 00:12:12.460 --> 00:12:14.580 said, did you tell her that you gave up driving 00:12:14.580 --> 00:12:18.539 25 years ago when you moved to the city? No, 00:12:18.600 --> 00:12:24.019 why is that important? Well, as it turned out, 00:12:24.299 --> 00:12:27.399 I was invited to the Indy and the celebration 00:12:27.399 --> 00:12:29.759 started on a Friday night when all of the guests 00:12:29.759 --> 00:12:32.059 were given yellow Corvettes. I'm still not sure 00:12:32.059 --> 00:12:34.559 the significance and we all got to drive the 00:12:34.559 --> 00:12:36.679 Indy track and then had a big barbecue in the 00:12:36.679 --> 00:12:39.120 center of the track. I could've died a happy 00:12:39.120 --> 00:12:41.799 camper, I didn't know what was next. The next 00:12:41.799 --> 00:12:45.220 day I got up and I was given an El Dorado as 00:12:45.220 --> 00:12:48.679 a truck, I'm not good with cars, a big super 00:12:48.679 --> 00:12:51.759 truck. And in the back of it stood each branch 00:12:51.759 --> 00:12:55.320 of the military. And then I got to drive on the 00:12:55.320 --> 00:12:59.679 Indy track, two laps in front of 300 ,000 people, 00:12:59.980 --> 00:13:03.480 cheering, not for me, but the four military guys 00:13:03.480 --> 00:13:06.539 standing in the back of my truck. And I remember 00:13:06.539 --> 00:13:09.120 that moment because I I was filled with emotion 00:13:09.120 --> 00:13:11.620 and I remember tears streaming down my face as 00:13:11.620 --> 00:13:14.440 I was driving the track as 300 ,000 people kept 00:13:14.440 --> 00:13:17.179 standing up in a wave and cheering and I was 00:13:17.179 --> 00:13:20.080 thinking I'm driving on the same track as Danica 00:13:20.080 --> 00:13:23.059 Patrick I'm driving on the same track as Mario 00:13:23.059 --> 00:13:26.500 and ready and I said and I guess because I'm 00:13:26.500 --> 00:13:30.700 born on July 4th I am a very patriotic gal. So 00:13:30.700 --> 00:13:33.139 having the four military branches in the back 00:13:33.139 --> 00:13:36.639 of my truck It was just, oh, it was a Silverado. 00:13:36.720 --> 00:13:40.120 That's what it was, a Silverado. And then it 00:13:40.120 --> 00:13:42.440 wasn't over. Then I got to go to the pit crew 00:13:42.440 --> 00:13:45.039 and watch the guys change the cars as they came 00:13:45.039 --> 00:13:48.080 in. And then I was invited into the General Motors 00:13:48.080 --> 00:13:52.240 Executive Suite to watch the entire race. Wow. 00:13:52.620 --> 00:13:56.559 That's just incredible. I manifested it. I talked 00:13:56.559 --> 00:13:58.620 about in your introduction and you're describing 00:13:58.620 --> 00:14:01.360 now just all of these just phenomenal things 00:14:01.360 --> 00:14:04.080 that have happened. But if you, again, kind of 00:14:04.080 --> 00:14:06.179 think back to when you were a woman starting 00:14:06.179 --> 00:14:10.659 in college in the 1960s and aspiring for that 00:14:10.659 --> 00:14:15.019 MRS degree, how do you reflect on how far you 00:14:15.019 --> 00:14:17.899 come? And what would you say to that young woman 00:14:17.899 --> 00:14:23.490 today at Ithaca College? You know, reflection 00:14:23.490 --> 00:14:26.710 is interesting because reflection comes in two 00:14:26.710 --> 00:14:29.429 different ways. It comes again through gratitude 00:14:29.429 --> 00:14:32.889 for the life that I've had. I always quoted Arthur 00:14:32.889 --> 00:14:36.169 Ashe, the great tennis player. He succumbed to 00:14:36.169 --> 00:14:39.450 AIDS. And when he was asked by a reporter, Mr. 00:14:39.590 --> 00:14:41.750 Ashe, do you ever say to yourself, why me? Why 00:14:41.750 --> 00:14:44.710 an athlete of my fame and stature and fortune 00:14:44.710 --> 00:14:48.049 would get this dreadful fatal disease? And Arthur 00:14:48.049 --> 00:14:50.710 Ashe is eloquent athlete that he was. He said, 00:14:50.970 --> 00:14:53.470 I never say, why did this terrible thing happen 00:14:53.470 --> 00:14:57.149 to me? To do that, I'd have to say about all 00:14:57.149 --> 00:14:59.950 the good things that have happened to me. So 00:14:59.950 --> 00:15:03.789 that kind of sums up my reflection. It's really 00:15:03.789 --> 00:15:07.110 a mosaic of all the happy times in my life and 00:15:07.110 --> 00:15:09.090 all the challenges in my life. And there were 00:15:09.090 --> 00:15:12.730 many more past that. I mean, when I was 50, I 00:15:12.730 --> 00:15:14.970 was embezzled out of every penny I had and I 00:15:14.970 --> 00:15:18.610 was starting over. When I was 65, I got breast 00:15:18.610 --> 00:15:22.159 cancer. So all of these things, you keep going. 00:15:22.379 --> 00:15:27.139 You just keep going, or I do anyway. Just to 00:15:27.139 --> 00:15:30.299 me, my memoir that I'm writing has a working 00:15:30.299 --> 00:15:33.940 title of, we interrupt this life to bring you. 00:15:35.059 --> 00:15:37.659 Because when I grew up in the 50s and 60s, television, 00:15:37.759 --> 00:15:39.539 if you got static and stuff like that, there 00:15:39.539 --> 00:15:41.759 was always a thing across the screen. We interrupt 00:15:41.759 --> 00:15:44.399 this program to bring you or a news thing. Well, 00:15:44.399 --> 00:15:47.600 that's the story of my life. They're just interruptions. 00:15:48.079 --> 00:15:51.279 That's the way I look at them. I'm curious about 00:15:51.279 --> 00:15:55.000 the embezzlement story. Yeah. How did you rebuild 00:15:55.000 --> 00:15:57.700 from that? How did you come back from that? You 00:15:57.700 --> 00:16:00.100 know, some days I'm not sure myself, but I did. 00:16:00.440 --> 00:16:04.190 I became a saver. Which I never really was because 00:16:04.190 --> 00:16:06.690 I didn't understand that math wasn't my thing. 00:16:06.690 --> 00:16:09.669 My husband took care of all that. So as I started 00:16:09.669 --> 00:16:12.590 to build my career, I took jobs. I remember I 00:16:12.590 --> 00:16:14.710 took a job as a marketing manager in a health 00:16:14.710 --> 00:16:17.490 club while I was selling chocolates for an independent 00:16:17.490 --> 00:16:20.009 chocolatier. And on my breaks and I was building 00:16:20.009 --> 00:16:22.149 my new speaking business and on my breaks, I'd 00:16:22.149 --> 00:16:24.190 go out and make marketing calls to people to 00:16:24.190 --> 00:16:26.990 hire me to speak. So it was a very tumultuous 00:16:26.990 --> 00:16:29.570 time and I was living hand to mouth. I think 00:16:29.570 --> 00:16:31.690 I even borrowed money from a friend sometime. 00:16:31.820 --> 00:16:34.419 And then I knew, and this is interesting, because 00:16:34.419 --> 00:16:36.740 as a coach, sometimes people will say, well, 00:16:36.759 --> 00:16:39.340 I don't have the money right now. That's not 00:16:39.340 --> 00:16:42.519 in my vocabulary, because I knew I didn't have 00:16:42.519 --> 00:16:45.460 a long time to ramp up the speaking career. And 00:16:45.460 --> 00:16:48.419 there was a gentleman who was a consultant, Summers 00:16:48.419 --> 00:16:50.799 White in Arizona, and I'll never forget. And 00:16:50.799 --> 00:16:53.500 I had no money. I borrowed $5 ,000 because he 00:16:53.500 --> 00:16:56.019 actually required it to come overnight before 00:16:56.019 --> 00:16:58.480 he'd book it. And I figured, I just got to pay 00:16:58.480 --> 00:17:01.240 a consultant or coach to get me to where I have 00:17:01.240 --> 00:17:04.019 to go quickly. I don't have the luxury. So I 00:17:04.019 --> 00:17:07.160 borrowed 5 ,000, I flew to Arizona, and he was 00:17:07.160 --> 00:17:09.720 a turning point. And I came back home very motivated, 00:17:09.819 --> 00:17:12.720 very organized, very deliberate about my marketing, 00:17:12.920 --> 00:17:15.519 but also about saving. Every check I got, half 00:17:15.519 --> 00:17:18.140 of it went into savings. Half of it went into 00:17:18.140 --> 00:17:20.599 savings. And I just kept forgetting about it. 00:17:20.920 --> 00:17:23.720 So I developed habits after that embezzlement 00:17:23.720 --> 00:17:25.819 because again, I didn't know what to do. I have 00:17:25.819 --> 00:17:28.039 no experience with being a widow, with being 00:17:28.039 --> 00:17:30.900 embezzled. So you just trust your instinct and 00:17:30.900 --> 00:17:34.980 you hope for the best. Yeah. Wow. So you really 00:17:34.980 --> 00:17:38.519 have recreated, transformed your life kind of 00:17:38.519 --> 00:17:42.359 over and over again. I have. Just from one area 00:17:42.359 --> 00:17:45.640 to another. It's amazing. You call yourself a 00:17:45.640 --> 00:17:48.880 disruptor and a maverick. In what ways are you 00:17:48.880 --> 00:17:52.579 still disrupting at this stage? Well, at 82, 00:17:52.779 --> 00:17:56.799 I'm an influencer. I didn't expect that. But 00:17:56.799 --> 00:17:59.160 you know, Michelle, I've always been an outlier 00:17:59.160 --> 00:18:02.980 before they had a word for it. I became a brand 00:18:02.980 --> 00:18:05.480 before they had a thing called branding, and 00:18:05.480 --> 00:18:08.160 that's because I had a mom who instilled incredible 00:18:08.160 --> 00:18:11.539 confidence in me since the earliest of age, which 00:18:11.539 --> 00:18:13.880 is probably why I never smoked or even tried 00:18:13.880 --> 00:18:17.220 smoking. I never felt the need to conform. She 00:18:17.220 --> 00:18:19.759 always made me feel that I was uniquely special, 00:18:20.200 --> 00:18:23.259 hence I always dressed... crazier than anyone 00:18:23.259 --> 00:18:25.640 else, which I still do to this day. And that's 00:18:25.640 --> 00:18:28.440 how I used to get the terms applied to me. She's 00:18:28.440 --> 00:18:30.980 a brand. What do you mean a brand? Well, the 00:18:30.980 --> 00:18:32.960 speaker with the big earrings, the speaker who's 00:18:32.960 --> 00:18:35.019 crazy for shoes, the speaker with the big hair. 00:18:35.480 --> 00:18:37.940 Or she's an outlier. She doesn't follow rules. 00:18:38.019 --> 00:18:40.660 She's a maverick. And it's true. I don't. My 00:18:40.660 --> 00:18:42.859 motto is slip in my mickey. Oh, you can't use 00:18:42.859 --> 00:18:44.819 that. It has bad connotations. What the hell 00:18:44.819 --> 00:18:47.609 with that? I like it. I'm using it. I've always 00:18:47.609 --> 00:18:49.930 had that attitude when people tell me I can't 00:18:49.930 --> 00:18:52.490 do something. So I guess I consider that disruption 00:18:52.490 --> 00:18:55.930 because I kind of disrupted every field. In fact, 00:18:56.029 --> 00:18:58.269 when I gave my acceptance speech into the Speaker 00:18:58.269 --> 00:19:01.329 Hall of Fame, I remember one of the most rewarding 00:19:01.329 --> 00:19:03.289 things about it were all the people who wrote 00:19:03.289 --> 00:19:05.130 to me afterwards, especially women, had said, 00:19:05.609 --> 00:19:07.829 thank you for giving me permission to be me. 00:19:09.029 --> 00:19:12.890 Ah, beautiful. Beautiful. As you're describing 00:19:12.890 --> 00:19:14.829 each one of these things, you're doing it on 00:19:14.829 --> 00:19:17.609 your terms, right? It's everything on your terms. 00:19:17.950 --> 00:19:23.609 I love that. Let's see. So what's on your experience 00:19:23.609 --> 00:19:27.690 list that hasn't happened yet? Oh, I'd like to 00:19:27.690 --> 00:19:30.829 go to New York Fashion Week. Okay. I'd like to 00:19:30.829 --> 00:19:34.369 go to the Cannes Film Festival. I mean, I have 00:19:34.369 --> 00:19:37.150 a lot of things that are still kind of out there. 00:19:37.309 --> 00:19:39.769 I wanted to go on the Orient Express. We did. 00:19:39.849 --> 00:19:42.450 That was amazing. So there's been more things 00:19:42.450 --> 00:19:44.970 that I've accomplished and I add things and they 00:19:44.970 --> 00:19:47.309 just happen because something happens. I meet 00:19:47.309 --> 00:19:49.910 the right person or I make it happen or I make 00:19:49.910 --> 00:19:52.269 the connection and. You know, it's just right 00:19:52.269 --> 00:19:54.250 now I'm just so caught up in this influencer 00:19:54.250 --> 00:19:56.130 thing. I just can't believe this happened to 00:19:56.130 --> 00:19:58.609 me. I was having coffee with a friend and she 00:19:58.609 --> 00:20:01.089 said, you should make a TikTok video. I said, 00:20:01.109 --> 00:20:03.369 why would I do that? That's for 20 year olds. 00:20:03.750 --> 00:20:05.970 She said, cause you're inspiring. You love telling 00:20:05.970 --> 00:20:08.970 your stories, your stories. I said, okay. So 00:20:08.970 --> 00:20:10.589 I said, I don't know how to do this. I've never 00:20:10.589 --> 00:20:13.269 been on the platform. So I hired my friend's 00:20:13.269 --> 00:20:15.970 17 year old daughter and she came over the house 00:20:15.970 --> 00:20:17.190 and she said, what do you want to make it on? 00:20:17.420 --> 00:20:19.339 And I still had never even looked at any of them, 00:20:19.359 --> 00:20:21.440 so I didn't even know what it was like. I was 00:20:21.440 --> 00:20:23.099 wearing what I would wear off for the whole day. 00:20:23.200 --> 00:20:26.019 I didn't plan an outfit. I said, I don't know. 00:20:26.200 --> 00:20:28.480 What should I make it on? She said, well, we're 00:20:28.480 --> 00:20:30.579 in your house. What's interesting? I said, oh, 00:20:30.700 --> 00:20:33.500 my closet. Everybody loves my closet. So we've 00:20:33.500 --> 00:20:36.079 made this video. You know, I said, hi, I'm Mickey. 00:20:36.400 --> 00:20:39.400 I'm new to TikTok, and I'm an all -natural 82 00:20:39.400 --> 00:20:42.559 -year -old. Little did I know about that phrase. 00:20:43.230 --> 00:20:46.829 Well, we published the video or posted it rather. 00:20:47.230 --> 00:20:49.829 And she started calling me and saying, you're 00:20:49.829 --> 00:20:52.029 trending. And I don't even know what that meant. 00:20:52.990 --> 00:20:54.390 I said, what do you mean? She said, well, you're 00:20:54.390 --> 00:20:56.329 getting a lot of views. Well, the next morning 00:20:56.329 --> 00:20:59.849 it was 1 .2 million. And I'm like going to chat 00:20:59.849 --> 00:21:02.930 GPT going, is it good if you're on TikTok for 00:21:02.930 --> 00:21:07.460 the first time and you're 82 years old? That 00:21:07.460 --> 00:21:10.799 is so wild. Well, I am not on TikTok, so I'm 00:21:10.799 --> 00:21:12.759 going to have to go. Everybody says that. Everybody 00:21:12.759 --> 00:21:15.180 is a friend. Everybody that I know says I'm not. 00:21:15.299 --> 00:21:18.660 So now I post it on Instagram and Facebook for 00:21:18.660 --> 00:21:21.880 my older friends. Oh, well, I appreciate that. 00:21:24.269 --> 00:21:28.670 Terrific. Yeah. So you talked about the social 00:21:28.670 --> 00:21:31.009 media. Is there anything else that you want to 00:21:31.009 --> 00:21:34.250 mention in what you call your semi -retirement 00:21:34.250 --> 00:21:37.029 stage or phase? Well, I call it semi -retirement 00:21:37.029 --> 00:21:38.809 because even though I gave up speaking three 00:21:38.809 --> 00:21:41.029 years ago and even though I gave up Vistage three 00:21:41.029 --> 00:21:43.250 years ago, although I just came back from the 00:21:43.250 --> 00:21:45.549 Vistage conference, they still have me speak 00:21:45.549 --> 00:21:48.869 and they still keep me by keeping me as an emeritus. 00:21:48.890 --> 00:21:51.609 So I'm still involved in that level. But I kept 00:21:51.609 --> 00:21:54.640 three things when I gave up I kept my speaker 00:21:54.640 --> 00:21:56.519 school, which I do twice a year, and I've been 00:21:56.519 --> 00:21:59.960 doing it for over 30 years, in April and October 00:21:59.960 --> 00:22:03.900 in Naples. And I kept my keynote camp, which 00:22:03.900 --> 00:22:06.680 is a one -on -one with somebody who wants me 00:22:06.680 --> 00:22:09.599 to create a speech for them. And I kept my coaching, 00:22:09.960 --> 00:22:13.359 which I do mostly with executives or people who 00:22:13.359 --> 00:22:16.299 want to either improve their communication skills 00:22:16.299 --> 00:22:19.039 or have a showcase for their business. The best 00:22:19.039 --> 00:22:22.509 way to do that is through speaking. So I those 00:22:22.509 --> 00:22:24.410 that's why I called semi -retired because I'm 00:22:24.410 --> 00:22:26.529 still doing that and in between that I'm doing 00:22:26.529 --> 00:22:29.269 a lot of other volunteer things in fun ways and 00:22:29.269 --> 00:22:30.930 everything and someone asked me just yesterday 00:22:30.930 --> 00:22:33.970 How do you do all this? And I said, you know, 00:22:33.990 --> 00:22:36.450 I think it goes back to the defining moment when 00:22:36.450 --> 00:22:40.970 I lost my husband losing someone at 29 Shocks 00:22:40.970 --> 00:22:44.160 you in a way You know, everybody like me, you 00:22:44.160 --> 00:22:46.420 die when you got old. You die when you get sick. 00:22:46.619 --> 00:22:49.799 You don't die, you know? So I think I live my 00:22:49.799 --> 00:22:54.319 life by cramming every moment of life into life, 00:22:54.619 --> 00:22:57.240 if that makes sense. Yeah, sure it does. I just 00:22:57.240 --> 00:23:00.680 do. I just cherish life so much and there's so 00:23:00.680 --> 00:23:02.960 many things to do and so many people sit on the 00:23:02.960 --> 00:23:05.759 couch and eat bonbons and never travel or don't 00:23:05.759 --> 00:23:07.819 read. And that's their choice. It's okay. But 00:23:07.819 --> 00:23:11.329 for me, That early loss just kind of triggered 00:23:11.329 --> 00:23:13.369 something in me with them. I want to pack this 00:23:13.369 --> 00:23:16.069 life with as many experiences as I possibly can. 00:23:16.170 --> 00:23:20.589 And I do. Is there anything that you would say 00:23:20.589 --> 00:23:24.430 to that person who has had maybe a very tragic 00:23:24.430 --> 00:23:27.170 loss, something like what you experienced and 00:23:27.170 --> 00:23:30.009 maybe they're just in that stuck place and they 00:23:30.009 --> 00:23:32.509 haven't been able to move from where they are? 00:23:32.609 --> 00:23:35.250 What would you say to that person? I'd say find 00:23:35.250 --> 00:23:39.029 something that you love. Like, I love dance. 00:23:39.609 --> 00:23:43.410 And when I danced, I didn't think or feel what 00:23:43.410 --> 00:23:45.950 I was going through. And find the thing that 00:23:45.950 --> 00:23:48.509 you love and immerse yourself in it. Force yourself 00:23:48.509 --> 00:23:50.970 to get out of that house and off of that couch 00:23:50.970 --> 00:23:54.109 and just do something. If it's cooking, if it's 00:23:54.109 --> 00:23:56.109 dancing, if it's traveling, if it's just being 00:23:56.109 --> 00:23:58.990 with friends, whatever it is, get out of your 00:23:58.990 --> 00:24:01.859 head and... You never get it out of your heart. 00:24:02.059 --> 00:24:04.339 I think the scar is on my heart and soul and 00:24:04.339 --> 00:24:06.940 will be forever. And a song could trigger it 00:24:06.940 --> 00:24:09.460 in a second. To this day, I can't listen to any 00:24:09.460 --> 00:24:12.000 Beatles song. My husband knows. Anywhere a Beatles 00:24:12.000 --> 00:24:13.779 song plays, I have to leave because I'm a me 00:24:13.779 --> 00:24:15.480 because we were together when the Beatles came 00:24:15.480 --> 00:24:18.839 to the U .S. So that's, I think, always going 00:24:18.839 --> 00:24:22.200 to be there. But I think that I dove so deeply 00:24:22.200 --> 00:24:25.319 into everything just to support Jason and myself, 00:24:25.359 --> 00:24:28.259 but also it kept me one step ahead of the pain. 00:24:29.789 --> 00:24:32.730 Great advice there. I know my audience is going 00:24:32.730 --> 00:24:35.309 to want to be able to find you or maybe reach 00:24:35.309 --> 00:24:37.450 out to you, contact you. What are the best ways 00:24:37.450 --> 00:24:40.609 to contact you? Well, my website is still up. 00:24:40.630 --> 00:24:42.980 I like to call it a placeholder. Practically 00:24:42.980 --> 00:24:47.039 everything on it is obsolete. My Vistage members 00:24:47.039 --> 00:24:49.900 are still on it, but my speaker school, you could 00:24:49.900 --> 00:24:52.279 register on my website. It does have, it's a 00:24:52.279 --> 00:24:54.619 very fun, colorful website. Again, everybody 00:24:54.619 --> 00:24:56.519 told me you can't do this. It's not professional. 00:24:56.700 --> 00:24:58.940 Well, I did it. So it's worth going to, because 00:24:58.940 --> 00:25:01.980 it has all my career is in a background. It has 00:25:01.980 --> 00:25:05.200 some great stories and it has ways you can connect 00:25:05.200 --> 00:25:07.960 to my Ted talk and another keynote that I did 00:25:07.960 --> 00:25:11.220 for 7 ,000 people and stuff. Just ignore the 00:25:11.220 --> 00:25:13.349 stuff that. You don't even know what's old. Anyway, 00:25:13.390 --> 00:25:15.710 it's a fun place. You could sign up for speaker 00:25:15.710 --> 00:25:18.829 school. It has my email and my phone number if 00:25:18.829 --> 00:25:20.670 you're interested in coaching or keynote camp. 00:25:20.750 --> 00:25:24.130 Oh yeah. And my social media handles. I need 00:25:24.130 --> 00:25:27.630 followers. So I need all your listeners to follow 00:25:27.630 --> 00:25:33.269 me on Facebook, on Instagram, or on TikTok. On 00:25:33.269 --> 00:25:36.359 Facebook is just my name. On Instagram, it's 00:25:36.359 --> 00:25:39.799 Mickey Williams Unlimited UNLTD, the name of 00:25:39.799 --> 00:25:41.680 my company, but you'd probably get me at Mickey 00:25:41.680 --> 00:25:45.000 Williams. And you'll laugh when I tell you my 00:25:45.000 --> 00:25:50.400 handle on TikTok, Mickey Go Go. Oh, I love it. 00:25:52.240 --> 00:25:54.640 It's a nickname my friend gave me because I'm 00:25:54.640 --> 00:25:58.059 always on the go. So it's M -I -K -K -I -G -O 00:25:58.059 --> 00:26:01.529 -G -O. and I need followers and share and post 00:26:01.529 --> 00:26:03.829 and repost. Look at all these words in my vernacular 00:26:03.829 --> 00:26:09.450 that I never had before. Oh, I love your energy, 00:26:09.630 --> 00:26:12.170 Mickey. I just think you're a delight. And I'm 00:26:12.170 --> 00:26:16.650 so inspired by your life, the things, the obstacles 00:26:16.650 --> 00:26:19.210 you've been able to overcome and just the things 00:26:19.210 --> 00:26:20.829 that you've been able to do. I was like, I want 00:26:20.829 --> 00:26:23.369 to be like you when I grow up. You know, and 00:26:23.369 --> 00:26:25.329 it's so sweet of you to say, Michelle, and that's 00:26:25.329 --> 00:26:27.369 really what all these people are writing on my 00:26:27.369 --> 00:26:30.309 TikTok. These young people were looking at me, 00:26:30.309 --> 00:26:33.529 you know, even 50 year olds. Oh, you're my goal. 00:26:33.589 --> 00:26:36.490 I want to be you when I grow up. And that's kind 00:26:36.490 --> 00:26:38.690 of and makes it fun for me. I'm really enjoying 00:26:38.690 --> 00:26:41.490 it now. I enjoy making the videos and I enjoy 00:26:41.490 --> 00:26:44.009 the relationships because people write to me 00:26:44.009 --> 00:26:46.289 right afterwards. And in a sense, it's kind of 00:26:46.289 --> 00:26:48.670 like my professional speaking. I'm just not doing 00:26:48.670 --> 00:26:51.670 it on a big stage, but I'm still storytelling 00:26:51.670 --> 00:26:54.210 and I'm still sharing things that, yeah, it's 00:26:54.210 --> 00:26:56.390 a lot of fun. And if I can become an influencer 00:26:56.390 --> 00:27:00.910 at 82, anybody who's listening to Michelle can 00:27:00.910 --> 00:27:04.639 do whatever they want, whenever they want. Oh, 00:27:04.639 --> 00:27:07.539 that's great. Absolutely. Just takes that effort, 00:27:07.779 --> 00:27:10.900 that first step, right? That's right. So thank 00:27:10.900 --> 00:27:13.539 you. Thank you so much. Wonderful conversation. 00:27:13.900 --> 00:27:16.259 I appreciate you sharing with us, and I wish 00:27:16.259 --> 00:27:18.940 you continued success in everything that you're 00:27:18.940 --> 00:27:21.460 doing. Thank you, Michelle. You're a great interviewer. 00:27:21.559 --> 00:27:23.299 I felt like we were having a conversation with 00:27:23.299 --> 00:27:25.819 a friend, great questions, and thank you for 00:27:25.819 --> 00:27:27.819 the invitation, and I look forward to sharing 00:27:27.819 --> 00:27:30.000 this with all the people and all the different 00:27:30.000 --> 00:27:33.359 things I still do. Awesome. That's wonderful. 00:27:33.460 --> 00:27:37.140 Thank you. Thank you, Michelle. Bye. Bye. Thanks 00:27:37.140 --> 00:27:39.420 so much for joining me today on her comeback. 00:27:39.500 --> 00:27:43.200 I hope this conversation inspired you to keep 00:27:43.200 --> 00:27:45.920 moving forward no matter where you are in your 00:27:45.920 --> 00:27:49.160 own journey. If you love this episode, I'd be 00:27:49.160 --> 00:27:52.299 so grateful if you would subscribe to the show 00:27:52.299 --> 00:27:56.519 on my YouTube channel, Michelle Thompson dash 00:27:56.519 --> 00:27:59.500 life coaching. Go there for more encouragement, 00:27:59.960 --> 00:28:02.759 insights, and just real talk about making a comeback 00:28:02.759 --> 00:28:05.559 happen. Hit that subscribe button so you never 00:28:05.559 --> 00:28:09.819 miss new content. You can also visit hercomebackpodcast 00:28:09.819 --> 00:28:14.079 .com for notes, resources, connect with me, connect 00:28:14.079 --> 00:28:17.059 with other women in our amazing community who 00:28:17.059 --> 00:28:20.400 are rewriting their stories. Remember, your setback 00:28:20.400 --> 00:28:23.680 isn't your final chapter. It's just the setup 00:28:23.680 --> 00:28:26.509 for your greatest comeback yet. I'll see you 00:28:26.509 --> 00:28:27.750 next time. Until then.