Mike Steadman
MEMBER NAME
Mike Steadman
USNA ‘10
COMPANY
IRONBOUND
INDUSTRIES
Non-profit
Podcast Producer
Marketing/Branding
Mike Steadman at a TLP Tactical Advance
THE CHALLENGE
When Mike Steadman was at the Naval Academy, he was a three-time national boxing champion, two-time most valuable boxer, and captain of the boxing team.
When Mike transitioned out of the military, he relocated to Newark, NJ, where he simultaneously launched his IRONBOUND non-profit organization and corporate boxing business.
Never one to sit still, Mike also had another part-time consulting gig to manage.
“I felt like there had to be an easier way to manage all the chaos. We were raising a little money for the nonprofit and revenue was ok with corporate boxing, but there was no real sustainability,” he added. “I was living in this rat race and couldn’t predict anything. I needed to get to the next level and find some control over my life.”
THE JOURNEY TO tHE 0.01%
According to Mike Steadman
YOUR BRAND STORY IS CRITICAL.
While the One Page Business Plan is phenomenal for charting financial targets, goals, and future planning, it’s been a secret weapon for establishing the core components of our brand story. By dialing in our bold beliefs, our branding, our core values, it became SO much easier to communicate what we do, who we serve, and why it’s so important.
With those in hand, the story started to catch on. Our non-profit donations went from $200/week to $7500 a month in just over a year.
YOUR PERSONAL STORY IS JUST AS IMPORTANT.
I never thought about living with the tension—this idea that, beyond immediate business goals, I could have a picture of what I want my life to look like overall. It was always an “after” the business(es) took off, never simultaneously.
The One Page Personal Plan mapped that out and put things in front of me that may have otherwise fallen by the wayside.
When I joined the Cohort, I paused my Masters in American studies from Rutgers North. On my OPPP, I had a goal of graduating from Rutgers with a Master’s and going on to get a PhD. I realized I couldn’t accomplish this if I didn’t graduate, so I reached out to Rutgers my university and asked how I might finish.
They gave me two weeks to get my thesis in. And I that’s exactly what I did. I cranked it out, went on to graduate, and now I’m ready for the next step. Without the OPPP putting that in front of me, I’d probably still be putting that off—even though it was really important to me.
I DON’T KNOW EVERYTHING. NEITHER DO YOU.
Having the vulnerability, honesty, tools, and advice from the Cohort has laced up my bootstrap entrepreneurship. I knew where I wanted to go—I just needed the proper tools and support to get there.
Don’t be afraid to invest in yourself. That’s the difference between people who are successful and those who are not. Those that I view as successful relentlessly invest in themselves. Those who are stuck, don’t. The difference is staggering and almost immediate—so if you’re on the fence, figure out a way to make it happen.
My Cohort members have become my personal board of advisors. Within a year and with all that I had learned, I was able to launch IRONBOUND MEDIA and have it be profitable right out of the gate. I’m confident that I’m on to something. It was there all along, I just had to have the right tools and the right people around me to sharpen it.
WHY I JOINED THE COHORT
In the midst of that early chaos, Mike Nemeth from Emblem Athletic connected with me through one of the podcasts I had done. He sent the kids at IRONBOUND Boxing some free gear and that really stood out to me. After getting to know him, I found that he had experienced much of what I was experiencing, and he suggested I connect with Bill.
I figured I had nothing to lose and so much to gain—there’s no shame in doing it on your own, but I wanted to build something bigger than myself. And that takes help.
After one conversation with Bill, I found myself on a plane to the next TLP Tactical Advance in Jackson. I’m never one to hesitate—I had to experience what he said for myself. That’s all it took. I’ve been an active Cohort member ever since.
Watch Mike Steadman's full interview with Bill Watkins.
“For me, the Cohort is like oxygen. It has breathed new life into what was already there, as well as provided the confidence and life-breath to launch new ventures.
Just being in the room and hearing the challenges of others, you get a level of vulnerability and acceleration that you won’t get anywhere else.
You can’t sugar-coat this stuff. You’ve got to get it straight from the tap.”
“National championship boxers don’t rise to that level by watching their heroes on television and training with YouTube videos. They hire a coach. They train with other champions. And they level up accordingly.”
