People, Profit, and Purpose.

During this first episode of The Mike Thakur Show, we get to learn more about how Mike got his start in the entrepreneurial field. Throughout his life, it seems that Mike Thakur has done it all, this podcast is going to help share what that includes. Along the way, he has also gathered his thoughts and opinions on how people should be taken care of, how profit should be made, and finding our true purpose in life. Tune in to listen how Thakur came up with the idea of marrying entrepreneurship with changing lives.

TAKING CARE OF PEOPLE

Here to lend a hand and calm Mike's first podcast nerves is his wife Linda. The couple narrates stories about jobs in the past that have presented themselves as learning opportunities to Mike. The journey that is Mike's career, beginning to present, has impacted how he feels people should be taken care of. He recounts working his very first job at McDonald's and how the company took care of their employees. From granting the request of extra ketchup on a quarter pounder, to allowing employees to engage in friendly competition field days, McDonald's was an influential first impression on how to take care of your people.

Thakur later went on to get hired within the computer business. Turns out, the guy that hired him for this position would later be his first business partner. They created a business that sold office space. This was Thakur's first experience in this line of work. He didn't know it at the time, but this was a building block for a business he'd operate on a much larger scale later in life; WorkLodge.

MAKING A PROFIT

Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you thought the grass would be greener on the other side? Not to worry, Mike has too. He recounts a time where he made the mistake of leaving a company that offered him support to, in other words, "chase the money". Although money is great, it truly isn't everything. Especially when your goal is to keep all of your money to yourself. If you ask Mike he'll tell you:

"Things like CULTURE matter. Things like DNA matter."

Of course when you hear the word "profit", you think money. But it's more important to profit off of things like support, a network of people who believe in you, and their trust. When you profit off of those factors in business, you'll be more successful than ever. After selling his soul and getting it back, Mike moved onto the next chapter of his life.

FINDING YOUR PURPOSE

After all this time passed since he studied theology in college, Mike and his wife Linda still felt the urge to change lives and make a difference. This led them into mission work and starting their non-profit; The Gabriel Foundation. The common thread in his life seems to be his faith and his theological beliefs. Now, this doesn't mean you have to believe what he does to follow along to the podcast. Thakur explains that because of his faith and belief in God, he's in a place in his life where he is successful. He is trying to create an environment where people thrive and succeed. He has created a business where people can do this, takes that profit, and changes lives with it. As Mike puts it, "He is guiding my steps."

KEY TOPICS

- An introduction to who Mike Thakur is and what he's done. How the idea of marrying entrepreneurship and changing lives has blossomed into WorkLodge.

- How taking care of people matters in the business world. This can make or break the team you create along the way.

- Money is not all that it seems. Money is great, but it is not everything. There's so much more out of life you can gain. Mike learned this by experience.

- Your purpose is important. Everyone on this Earth is called here to do something. You need to believe you can. Mike has created this business and can change lives with the profit.

QUOTES

"Whatever you have done in the past is irrelevant. It's the skills and the experience that you gain along the way. What you do with those skills and how they develop you, is what drives you to success as an entrepreneur." - Mike Thakur

"No matter what you do, there are always things that are going to leave a mark, shape, and tweak you into who you've become today, and who you are going to be tomorrow."-Mike Thakur

"People along the way of your journey, help you to be where you are at. Positive or negative experience." - Linda Thakur

"At the end of the day, I am an entrepreneur and a business person. I'm trying to figure out how to do it better. Take care of my staff better and create a better culture." - Mike Thakur

"Don't look at someone who needs help and think someone else can do it. You can be the person that helps them." - Mike Thakur