Meet Mike Robison, a dedicated family man. He and his wife Erica have been married for nearly 16 years and have four kids (Jack, Molly, Henry, and Sam), whose ages range from 7 to 14. He also has a 2-year-old black Labrador named Teddy (after Teddy Roosevelt). Taking care of his family is a full-time job, but he wouldn't have it any other way!
Before getting into the IT staffing business, Mike had a few different careers that included owning a construction business, partnering in an M&A firm, and property investing. Notably, he and his company played a pivotal role on ABC's Extreme Home Makeover, contributing their expertise to the interior door and window trim work. Even though they had to start in the EARLY hours of the morning, he said it was one of the coolest projects he got to work on.
Mike's journey through his career has taught him some valuable lessons. He was once told, "There is no substitute for competence." He strives to carry this advice with him in all his endeavors, always seeking to expand his knowledge and skills. He believes that being curious and continuous learning is the key to providing unique value, regardless of the circumstances.
Outside of his professional life, Mike enjoys staying active. When he was younger, he was a competitive strength athlete, specializing in Olympic weightlifting (Snatch and Clean & Jerk) and Strongman events. His best lift in competition was a snatch of 143 kg (315 lbs.) at his body weight of 207. Although he was usually the smallest guy in the strongman competition, he often placed well in the Farmer Carry having to carry handles that weighed his bodyweight in each hand for distance. To this day he no longer competes but continues to stay active by hiking with his dog every weekend. He says getting out in nature for a walk is easily one of the most mentally rejuvenating things you can do for yourself.
When asked about his aspirations, Mike shared a fascinating desire to master a musical instrument. He attended a wedding where a pianist was greeting and conversing with every guest that walked by. What made it so amazing was that he noticed he was playing beautiful instrumental covers of popular songs without any sheet music or song list. This skill of the piano left a lasting impression on him, and he hopes that one day he will achieve a similar level of fluency with a musical instrument.
Finally, Mike shared a humorous story from his sales experience. A few years ago, he decided to catch the eye of a CTO of a local growing company. After doing some research, he discovered that in addition to being a CTO, he also owned a horror themed amusement park company. This gave him an idea that he was sure to catch his attention. He got a cheap severed prop hand and wrote his name and contact information on it with a card telling him to keep his information “on hand” in case he needed their services in the future. After no response, he hit him up again, but this time with a severed foot saying, “I still haven’t got my foot in the door.” Despite the silence, his memorable gesture ultimately led to a referral from the CTO, highlighting the power of creativity in business relationships. He actually wrote an article about it on LinkedIn. What really surprised Mike was that the CTO kept two severed limbs somewhere in his desk for about a year and delivered his referral via limb by dropping them on the CEO's desk, walking away without saying a word.