18: Mike Parsons: An authentic rags to riches then rags to riches story

Welcome! I’m excited to introduce you to my friend, Mike Parsons. Mike has an authentic “rags to riches to rags to riches” story to share about his life and his work. I have a hilarious story to share about how Mike and I first became friends; it involves a joke I played on him that made him mad, but I soon gained a friend for life. Mike owns and operates Black Tie Extreme, a full-service professional DJ and Entertainment company. Join us as Mike shares his amazing story!

 What you’ll hear in this episode:

• Mike’s early life:
  • “The ONLY child of 11 children”
  • Working in construction at age 13, but laid off repeatedly
• The ups and downs of employment
  • How Mike became a medical assistant ($1200/month)
  • Becoming a DJ: making more in a weekend than in two weeks as a medical assistant.
  • Starting a custom closet company
  • Becoming a mortgage broker and financial success ($30,000/month!)
  • An upgraded lifestyle of unnecessary things
  • Losing it all when the banking industry tanked
  • A downsized life, washing cars for money
  • Back to working as a professional DJ
• Finding the fair industry
  • Working street carnivals with a gyroscope
  • Working fairs, sleeping in his car
  • Working as a fair vendor: What does that mean?
• What has kept Mike going through the ups and downs? “My wife and kids. I know there are many people less fortunate than me. I never wanted to be a burden.”
• Mike’s biggest mistake in the fair industry? “Picking the gyroscope to begin with.”
• Mike’s worst fair gig ever? “When a drunk gyroscope passenger fell out and got hurt!”
• Mike’s biggest surprise? “The closeness of the fair industry”
• Mike’s skill set in making money? “My drive. I want to be THE BEST.”
• What does Mike do for self-improvement? “I go to church.”
• The future for Mike? “Another 5 years or so in the fair industry, then building a house (with NO credit), and serving in missions.”
• Mike’s #1 takeaway from the fair industry? Honesty
• Words of wisdom from Mike: “Be honest, be nice, help others out, and you’ll be taken care of.”
• Find Mike at blacktie.biz.