Kurt Wilkin - Whos Your Mike?: A No-Bullshit Guide to the People Youll Meet on Your Entrepreneurial Journey

PRAISE FOR WHOS YOUR MIKE?

Whos Your Mike? has it allcrazy entrepreneurs and loyal, hardworking and overwhelmed employees. This book hit home for me and helped me navigate my way with my growing business. Kurt speaks my language and shows the reality of the pitfalls we face in an unapologetic way.

Molly Hunt
CEO of Ty Boyd, Inc.

Founders who are scaling their companies successfully eventually find that they have too much start-up culture in their organization, which can be painful for the team to endure. There comes a day when we have to face the reality that were lacking executives who can build and scale processes. Whos Your Mike? will provide some clarity on this subject for entrepreneurs everywhere.

Paul Hedrick
Founder & CEO of Tecovas

Kurt Wilkin doesnt have much patience for business books. Mostly because he finds they tend to be 80 percent fluff. (I came to the same conclusion covering entrepreneurs for Inc., Forbes, and The New York Times.) A true entrepreneur who has built several successful professional service firms, Kurt has seen the inner workings of countless businesses. As a result, he has written a book for impatient entrepreneurs like himfilled with real stories and only the stuff that matters. Its about the art of hiring, firing, and developing people. And given the current labor climate, it could not be better timed.

Loren Feldman
Editor-in-Chief of 21 Hats

This book was meant for people exactly like me. I recently spoke with an entrepreneur friend who is going through something akin to what I was experiencing, and I thought of Mike! It really helped to know that many entrepreneurs go through similar challenges. The loneliness I was feeling lifted after reading the first few chapters.

Amy Sweet
CEO of Halcyon Home

As a leader you can be so close to your people it can be hard to see things clearly. Whos Your Mike? provides great perspective and helps bring things into focus.

Kevin Ainsworth
Founding Partner of GuideCap Partners

These insights really hit home and brought back some tough memories! I just wish I had the opportunity to read this book before having to deal with my own Mike!

Christi Chatmas
Co-Founder and CEO of Caddie Central

Kurt draws you in with real-life stories that resonate. Whether youre an entrepreneur or looking to take that plunge, this is a must-read!

Brett Lawson
Founder and CEO of The CFO Suite

The stories Kurt shares in Whos Your Mike? are eerily familiar. Ive seen so many of these characters in my career, and entrepreneurs everywhere will recognize most of them, as well. For most entrepreneurs, there comes a time when you realize youve simply outgrown key members of your team.

Doug Tatum
Author of No Mans Land

Kurt nailed it! Every character in Whos Your Mike? worked in my startup. Each story really resonated with my real-world experience and I appreciated all the sage advice!

Carl Natenstedt
Serial Entrepreneur, Founder, CEO of Z5 Inventory

Kurt is uniquely positioned to share stories that are raw and real based on his lived experiences working with entrepreneurs. He shares his scar tissue and wise insight that you can both relate to and practically apply.

Jacquie Hart
Global CEO Coach, Partner, and Chief Connector of
CEO Coaching International

Today, there is a war on talent. Are you winning or losing? Whos Your Mike? is written for entrepreneurs who employ people. The relatable characters and stories in this book will help you with your own employee challenges and ensure you win the war on talent.

Erik Qualman
5X #1 Bestselling Author and Professor

Entrepreneurs often look for a silver bullet when it comes to hiring. Whos Your Mike? will dispel that myth and provide pages of powerful stories, tips, and tools for dealing with the people part of growing your company.

Rand Stagen
CEO of Stagen Leadership Academy

With these so true it hurts stories, Kurt brings his real and down-to-earth style to life in Whos Your Mike?! Very real accounts of the people-problems we all face as leaders, most that we bring on ourselves by growing our companies! Save yourself tons of heartache and time by learning from this book. I wish I had this guide when I launched my company!

Jonathan Ulrich
Owner, CEO, and Visionary of Ulrich Barn Builders

We all know that to be successful, we need to have the right players in the right seats, but making that happen is where the magic exists. Whos Your Mike? will help you find that magic (and avoid repeating mistakes along the way)!

Ramona Cappello
Serial Entrepreneur and Partner at CEO Coaching International

Whos Your Mike? is an important guidebook for entrepreneurs who have hired friends and family. As we grow our companies, we need to grow our teams, and setting Mike free can be a challenge. Kurts book helps you address your Mike so your company can grow and, ultimately, Mike can too!

Kathleen Quinn Votaw
TalenTrust Founder and author of Dare to Care

WHOS YOUR MIKE?

A No-Bullshit Guide to the People
Youll Meet on Your Entrepreneurial Journey

KURT WILKIN

Copyright 2022 Kurt Wilkin

All rights reserved.

Published in association with Per Capita Publishing, a division of Content Capital.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission from the copyright holder.

Although the author and publisher have made every effort to ensure that the information in this book was correct at press time, the author and publisher do not assume and hereby disclaim any liability to any party for any loss, damage, or disruption caused by errors or omissions, whether such errors or omissions result from negligence, accident, or any other cause.

ISBN 13: 978-1-954020-24-5 (Paperback)

ISBN 13: 978-1-954020-28-3 (Hardback)

ISBN 13: 978-1-954020-25-2 (Ebook)

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Wilkin, Kurt, author.

Title: Whos Your Mike? / Kurt Wilkin

Description: First Edition | Texas: Per Capita Publishing (2022)

Identifiers: LCCN 2022902163 (print)

First Edition

WARNING: The characters described in the pages that follow may induce anxiety, night sweats, and panicked calls to your executive coach or advisor. Some will seem all too familiar. There could be one right down the hall. You may even think youre reading about yourself at some point. But dont be alarmed: Each chapter will provide tips and advice for navigating your way out of this personnel nightmare. Unless otherwise indicated, the names, businesses, places, and stories in this book have been anonymized in order to protect the innocent. If you see your story in the bookcongratulations, send the author a note. If you see yourself in any of the characters... you might be the problem.

To my parents: Dad, you taught us the power of storytelling and many entrepreneurial lessons from the School of Hard Knocks! Mom, you taught us grace... and to never give up.