Alright, friends, let’s get real for a minute. For decades now, I’ve been on this wild entrepreneurial rollercoaster—the kind with stomach-churning drops, exhilarating climbs, and more than a few moments where you think you’re about to fly right off the rails. It’s been a hell of a ride, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything. But if there’s one thing this journey has taught me, it’s that the real masterpiece isn’t the businesses I built; it’s the one I’ve been working on every day for the past 76 years: my brain.
After a lifetime of successes and speed bumps, I’ve found a new fascination, one that brings a whole new level of understanding to my story. I’ve been studying (my curiosity) the latest thinking in neuroscience, and it all comes back to a beautiful, and sometimes brutal, concept: the brain’s primary job is to keep a running tab of your energy and resources, a kind of internal “body budget”
Now, to a Boomer like me, that sounds a lot like being a creative business owner. You’re always managing resources, trying to stay ahead of the curve, and predicting what the market will do next. You can’t be a passive observer; you have to be an active participant. Throughout my life, I’ve been training myself for this without even realizing it.
I’ve faced more than my fair share of adversity. I lost my dad at 15.5, got hit with a devastating divorce at 65, and had my share of business ventures that went from “golden egg” to “zero” in a heartbeat. In those dark moments, I could have just given up. But my brain, my magnificent, resilient brain, wouldn’t let me. It had spent a lifetime learning how to adapt and pivot. It taught me that it’s okay to fail at a task; you don’t become a failure as a person. It’s about being tenacious and having the grit to keep going.
I’ve learned that when you worry, you are essentially giving your brain a stream of negative data to process. It starts to predict bad outcomes, and before you know it, you’ve created a self-fulfilling prophecy. But I also know the power of clearing my mind and putting on some music. It’s like a reset button for my brain’s budget. It reduces the noise, allows the mind to find a calm, centered state, and helps me find my way forward. I always find new ideas and breakthroughs in those quiet moments, whether it’s for a new business, a new film project, or a new way to get out of a jam
I used to think that the lessons I learned in life—about courage, resilience, and persistence—were just a product of my experiences. Now, I know there’s a deeper truth at play. My conscious mind is just scratching the surface of what my amazing, unconscious brain is doing behind the scenes. The brain is a masterpiece of reinvention and a testament to the power of the human spirit. It is the core of who I am, and it’s what keeps me pursuing my dreams, even after 76 years on this planet.
My journey has taught me that no matter your age, you can always start over. You can always write a new chapter. The best is yet to come. And the truth is, your brain—the real master of reinvention—is on your side, ready to help you write it. It’s never too late to begin.
To reach Michael, Email: boomermarketing101@gmail.com