This episode: He Walked for 10 Days Ready to End His Life—Then Everything Changed For Mike Skrypnek.
Here’s what you’ll learn about:
Introduction and Initial Greetings (0:00)
- Host Drew Deraney greets Guest Mike Skrypnek. Drew expresses gratitude and thanks Jennifer Regular for introducing him to Mike, setting the tone for the conversation.
- Drew discusses the concept of life being linear and how external circumstances can disrupt this linearity, leading to adversity.
Types of Men and Personal Transformation (1:10)
- Drew introduces three types of men: those who don’t see adversity, those who see it as a barrier, and those who see it as an opportunity.
- He explains that he prefers to feature men who see adversity as an opportunity, like Mike Skrypnek.
- Drew asks Mike to share his defining moment that transformed him from man number two to man number three.
- Mike Skrypnek begins to recount his journey, starting with a linear view of life at 11 years old and a major incident that derailed his future.
Life-Altering Incident and Its Impact (15:36)
- Mike describes a life-altering moment four years ago when his business was collapsing and he was struggling with financial pressures and isolation.
- He shares how he walked for 10 days, contemplating suicide, and finally reached out to a psychologist and close friend for help.
- Mike explains how this incident led to a significant transformation in his life, helping him understand and address the root causes of his struggles.
- He reflects on the impact of a traumatic incident from his childhood, involving abuse by a trusted community leader, and how it shaped his subconscious behaviors and patterns.
Healing and Self-Discovery (16:03)
- Mike discusses the process of uncovering and addressing the Trauma from his childhood, which had been buried for years.
- He explains how this trauma created patterns of behavior that limited his potential and led to repeated challenges in his life.
- Mike shares how he worked to bring these issues to Consciousness, removing the limitations and opening up unlimited potential.
- He emphasizes the importance of vulnerability and trust in the healing process, both for himself and for others he works with.
Support Systems and Mentorship (17:59)
- Mike highlights the role of his wife and other trusted individuals in his healing journey, providing support and helping him confront his challenges.
- He discusses the importance of mentorship and how he now provides mentorship and Coaching to help others overcome their limitations.
- Mike shares a story about coaching young men struggling with business and personal challenges, and how he helped them transform their lives.
- He reflects on the impact of his work and the importance of passing on the lessons he has learned to future generations.
Advice for Younger Generations (19:48)
- Drew asks Mike for advice he would give to his younger self and to young entrepreneurs.
- Mike advises his younger self to understand his worth and value, and to trust that things will work out.
- He advises young entrepreneurs to investigate and address any limiting patterns in their lives, as these are often connected to deeper issues.
- Mike emphasizes the importance of mentorship and peer support in overcoming challenges and achieving success.
Final Thoughts and Future Plans (23:53)
- Drew thanks Mike for sharing his story and for the valuable insights he has provided.
- Mike expresses gratitude for the opportunity to share his experiences and to help others through his work.
- He mentions upcoming projects, including a documentary about his journey, which he plans to share with the public.
- Drew and Mike exchange holiday wishes and discuss their plans for the upcoming holiday season.
To learn more about Mike’s mission, go to his LinkedIn profile at https://www.linkedin.com/in/growgetgive/ or his website(s) at https://www.unlimitedworth.org/ .
Mike Skrypnek Bio
FOUNDER OF THE UNLIMTED WORTH PROJECT & UNLIMITED WORTH WELLNESS SOCIETY
Business Strategist. Leadership Expert. 9-time Int’l #1 Bestselling Author. Keynote Speaker.
Men’s Mental Wellness Advocate.
Mike is an executive leadership expert and strategist helping entrepreneurs & industry leaders with a gift for normalizing narratives so people can share their challenges and identify ways to overcome their limitations.
Often what holds us back is what happened to us as we grew up. Negative events that caused trauma in life embedded patterns, or instincts, that were designed to protect us. In our modern world these protections often held us back. In doing, so they can strain our families, Relationships and work. Almost everyone has lived under toxic-Stress at some point. Many people feel they are living below their potential. Mike shows you ways to gain insight needed to develop the awareness to overcome any limitation keeping you from your own personal or professional success.
Mike is an international bestseller of nine books, a keynote speaker, men’s Mental Health advocate, and corporate wellness trainer. He is a sought after business strategist who has shared his insights and Wisdom with thousands of passionate purpose driven entrepreneurs, business leaders and executives. His coaching focuses on purpose at the intersection of personal, professional and philanthropic development.
About your host: I’m Drew Deraney, the proud father of three children. For most of my life I’ve been concerned with what people thought of me and how I was supposed to act. I learned not to be my authentic self and instead became a people pleaser, a man wearing a mask.
In a 9-month span a few years ago, I endured four faith-shaking life events that caused me to question my existence.
I became determined to find a better way to live. Through intense self-reflection and awareness, I realized that in order to be happy, I must adhere to my standards of honesty, integrity and truth and needed to break free from the belief system that was anchored in me for close to 50 years.
I now believe that success happens when we find a better way and are willing and able to share it. HOW I do that is by challenging the status quo and thinking differently. Ultimately, WHAT I bring to the table is a way to contribute and add value by having an impact on the lives of others.
My company, Profit Compassion LLC consists of 3 paths:
The Caregiver Family Health Coach: coach for caregivers of individuals with special needs, including Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). For Caregivers who are open to a conversation about how I can support you on your Caregiving journey: I help caregivers find balance, build resilience, and rediscover their own well-being. Through personalized coaching, I provide practical strategies, emotional support, and the tools to reduce Burnout, strengthen relationships, and navigate the challenges of caregiving with confidence. My goal is to empower you to care for yourself as compassionately as you care for your loved one.
The Mindful Man Movement: men’s self-discovery coach, speaker, podcast host, author. For Men Seeking Answers Within: Imagine having crystal clear knowledge of your purpose in life where you make confident decisions, and are assertive, productive, and at peak mental health. Corporate executives hire me to guide them to tap into their natural power through self-discovery so they may write their own story and live the life they want to live.
WealthPath Strategies & Solutions: health/wellness and financial services to support individuals and businesses.
Join me in transforming challenges into opportunities for Growth. Let’s embark on this journey together.
HOW TO CONNECT WITH COACH DREW:
Website: https://profitcompassion.com/
Email: [email protected]
Book a discovery call: https://link.mavericksystems.online/widget/bookings/netweaving/connect30
Pick up a copy of Drew’s book: https://amzn.to/40dsbyR or https://bit.ly/BandNDrew
YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtwMTiiZvnhTpsaCYMK6oqg?sub_confirmation=1
Drew Deraney now travels the world both to Live and Virtual Events showing mostly men the steps needed to strengthen self-identity and self-worth, to overcome self-limiting beliefs, and to build confidence while being authentic, maintaining boundaries and to transcend people pleasing skills to become the person they are destined to be. Drew challenges them to reach deep inside and make a lasting impact.
In a 9-month span, Drew experienced a grueling divorce, job loss, his son’s suicidal ideations, and his father’s death which devastated Drew emotionally, mentally, physically, and spiritually. It is a commonality for men to consider any challenge as a weakness as well as to show emotion and ask for help. While writing his book, Drew realized he was not the only man suffering in silence. With more clarity of purpose than ever, he began asking for help. Drew Deraney’s mission is to help especially men, release their inner greatness by showing vulnerability, keeping in integrity of their power, and making a great impact on the people in their lives both personally and professionally.
Drew Deraney was born in Brooklyn, NY and raised in Ho-Ho-Kus, NJ where he still lives to this day caring for his elderly mom and his 3 adult children Matthew, Nicholas, and Emma. Drew earned his B.A. in Psychology, M.A. in Applied Psychology, and two psychology research publications while at Fairfield University; a scholarship from the Healthcare Financial Management Association; and his M.B.A. in Health Care Administration from Baruch College / Mount Sinai School of Medicine in NY. His hospital career spanned 24 years where he was co-chair of the Leadership Institute, spoke at JD Power, was one of three leaders interviewed by The Commonwealth Fund, received his Communicating with Empathy Trainer certification and is a Certified Patient Experience Professional. Four years ago, Drew founded Profit Compassion LLC, an entity to coach and empower mostly men to create resiliency and authenticity as Chief Resilience Officer. Drew is the podcast host of ‘From Caving in to Crushing It’ and recently became a best-selling author with his book ‘I’ll Have What She’s Having’ - Memoir of a reformed People Pleaser.
