Mike guests on the Going North Podcast with Dom Brightmon
Prepare yourself for a wild ride with our resident Playful Human, Mike Montague, an award-winning speaker, certified trainer, game show host, and the director of community engagement for Sandler. Mike’s life is a testament to embracing failure and finding fun in every situation – from getting fired on stage by Billy Idol to boosting energy levels with dodgeball. Enjoy Mike’s thrilling tale of resilience, playfulness, and the psychology of success.
Mike shares pivotal moments that shaped him. Listen closely as he shares how an early exposure to Sandler training, courtesy of his father, sparked his interest in the psychology of success. Hear about his nerve-wracking moment of being fired by Billy Idol live on stage and how it turned him into a “bulletproof” performer. We then pivot to a fun and insightful discussion on the importance of stepping out of our comfort zones. Mike’s transformative journey of overcoming fear is sure to inspire you to challenge your boundaries.
We wrap up with an entertaining game of ‘true or lie’, revealing intriguing facts about Mike and the host, Dom Brightmon. But it’s not just about fun and games. Mike and Tom underscore the importance of confidence and the courage to seize opportunities. Moreover, Mike offers valuable advice to his younger self about embracing AI and self-confidence, insights that are equally relevant for all of us. So join us on this exhilarating journey of self-discovery, personal growth, and a whole lot of laughter.
(0:00:01) – Fired on Stage (13 Minutes)
Mike Montague shares his journey to success, from opening for Billy Idol to running his own podcasts. Mike’s father bought a Sandler Training franchise when he was still in high school, which inspired him to pursue a career in the psychology of success. Mike also talks about his experience as a radio DJ and game show host, and how he loves to be behind a microphone.
(0:13:19) – Overcoming Failure and Embracing Playfulness (4 Minutes)
Mike has built confidence as a performer through his biggest public failure. Conditioning can help us become more playful and energetic in our daily lives, which can improve our physical and mental health. Mike shares his story of being fired live on stage by Billy Idol in front of thousands of people, and how this experience has made him “bulletproof” in his performances, now.
(0:17:01) – Overcoming Fear and Expanding Comfort Zones (6 Minutes)
Dom shares how he learned to stay confident by using classic red rubber balls and keeping his hands up. Mike shares about his recent talk and how lowering the stakes and getting outside of our comfort zones can help us have more fun. Mike shares how he got over his fear of performing by doing hard things, like bungee jumping or just doing something uncomfortable. He talks about his Billy Idol moment and how it stretched his comfort zone and made daily tasks easier. Finally, Mike talks about his podcast role-play roulette game and how doing impressions can make boring meetings more exciting.
(0:31:08) – Playful Humans Book for Success (12 Minutes)
Mike Montague and Dom talk about the importance of having confidence in yourself and going for it. Mike shares his thoughts on how AI is going to be the game-changer for the next five to fifteen years. Dom talks about how he learned to stay confident by using classic red rubber balls and keeping his hands up. Mike shares a metaphor and a live lesson about the need to wrap people’s need for ‘vegetables’ or hard truths in ‘ice cream’ to make them more palatable. Mike shares his advice to his 23-year-old self: Lean into AI, have confidence in yourself, and go for it.
