Michael DeJong

Athlete, Brainstormer, Business adviser, Business leader, Business mentor, Change Agent, Connector, Consultant, Educator/Teacher, Engineer, Entrepreneur, Event planner, Explorer, Global soul, Idea generator, Inventor, Investor, Life mentor, Marketer, Parent, World traveler, Writer/Editor

About Mike DeJong What if you could finally break free from the day-to-day chaos of your business—and start living the life you thought you were building from the beginning? Mike DeJong knows that question all too well. He spent years buried in operations, solving everyone else’s problems, and wondering why more growth just brought more stress. Like so many entrepreneurs, he thought working harder was the answer—until it almost cost him everything. Before franchise ownership, Mike worked in high-pressure operations for a Fortune 500 company and traveled the world as an engineer and commercial pilot. But nothing tested him like building businesses that could run—and thrive—without him. Today, he’s a multi-unit, multi-state franchise owner, turnaround specialist, and systems thinker who helps other business owners escape the same trap he lived through. He’s been 60 days from bankruptcy. He’s taken calls from his team in the middle of vacations. He’s scaled too fast, opened too soon, and been the bottleneck in his own business. Now? He helps owners build what he finally figured out: a business that serves your life—not consumes it. Through frameworks, culture work, and operational systems, Mike helps owners: • Step back without losing control • Scale without losing their mind • And exit without regret A Tony Robbins Platinum Partner and no-BS coach to franchisees across the U.S., Mike’s known for turning complexity into clarity—and burnout into freedom. In addition to his coaching and franchise work, Mike is an accomplished speaker and the founder and organizer of TEDxOconomowoc, bringing world-class ideas and inspiration to his Wisconsin community. If you’re still stuck in the grind… he gets it. And if you’re ready to break out of it… he’ll show you how.

What I’m Passionate About I’m passionate about freedom — real freedom. Not the kind that looks good on social media, but the kind that lets you wake up and actually live the life you started your business to create. I’ve been trapped by success before. I know what it feels like to build something that looks great from the outside but quietly eats you alive from the inside. I worked harder, pushed longer, and thought that was leadership — until it almost cost me everything. That experience changed how I see business, leadership, and life. Now, I’m obsessed with helping other entrepreneurs escape that same trap. I love showing owners that there’s another way — that it’s possible to have growth without chaos, to scale without stress, and to lead without losing yourself. I’m passionate about designing systems that create human freedom. To me, systems aren’t about control; they’re about empowerment. They give people room to grow, create, and lead. Structure doesn’t restrict freedom — it’s what makes it possible. I’m also passionate about redefining leadership. Real leadership isn’t about being the hero; it’s about building heroes. It’s not about doing everything — it’s about designing an environment where others can do their best work and thrive. Everything I teach comes from pain I’ve lived through. I’ve been 60 days from bankruptcy. I’ve been the bottleneck in my own business. I’ve missed family moments because I couldn’t step away. Those lessons became my purpose. Turning pain into progress — that’s what drives me. I believe business should serve your life, not consume it. I believe growth is a mindset, not a milestone. And I believe truth, transparency, and integrity are the cornerstones of real success. Starting TEDxOconomowoc came from that same passion — to create a space where ideas can change lives, connect people, and elevate communities. Contribution matters to me. When we share what we’ve learned, we multiply impact. At the end of the day, I’m passionate about legacy — not the kind written on a balance sheet, but the kind that lives in people. I want to build leaders who build leaders. Businesses that create freedom. Systems that outlast their founders. Because when we do that — when we stop being owned by what we’ve built — we finally become what we were meant to be: free.

“Freedom Through Systems — Why Working Less Is the New Leadership” Most entrepreneurs start a business for freedom… and accidentally build a trap. They dream of time, flexibility, and impact — but wake up buried in operations, answering every call, solving every problem, and fighting fires they didn’t start. They wanted independence but built dependency. Their business doesn’t work without them — it only works because of them. I know because I lived it. I’ve been sixty days from bankruptcy. I’ve been the guy taking calls from my team while on vacation with my family. I’ve been the one who scaled too fast, opened too soon, and thought “I’ll just work harder” was the solution to everything. It wasn’t. The harder I worked, the more trapped I became. I wasn’t leading a business — I was being consumed by one. That’s when I learned the paradox that changed everything: Working less isn’t laziness. It’s leadership. Because leadership isn’t about doing everything. It’s about designing everything. It’s the shift from operator to architect — from being the system to building it. When you finally stop trying to be the hardest-working person in the room and start becoming the most intentional one, something powerful happens. The chaos slows down. Clarity returns. You stop managing people and start multiplying leaders. Structure doesn’t kill freedom — it creates it. Think of the best teams in the world — elite performers, pilots, athletes, even orchestras. Their freedom to create, improvise, and perform at world-class levels comes from the systems that support them. They don’t think less because of structure; they think bigger because of it. That’s what happens in business when you build the right framework — when you stop building a business that depends on you and start building one that develops others. True leadership is measured not by how much you’re needed, but by how well things run when you’re not there. Freedom through systems isn’t just a business idea — it’s a mindset for every area of life. Parents, leaders, creators — we all have a limit. When we build systems that support our purpose instead of suffocating it, we create space for what actually matters. The mission isn’t to escape your business. It’s to elevate it. When you create systems that give people ownership, you don’t lose control — you gain influence. You stop being the hero and start building a legacy. We’ve been taught that freedom comes after success — but that’s backward. Freedom is the foundation that makes success possible. When you build systems that serve people, they rise. When you build systems that serve your purpose, you thrive. When you build systems that serve your life, you finally get to live it. That’s what this idea is really about — not just working less, but leading better. Not just scaling revenue, but expanding impact. Not just building wealth, but designing a life that’s actually yours. Because the ultimate measure of success isn’t how hard you work in your business. It’s how well your business works without you. Freedom through systems. Leverage over labor. Purpose over pressure. It’s not the next level of business. It’s the next evolution of leadership.

Author, Business Coach, Business Systems & Operational Efficiency, Commercial Pilot, Culture Engineering, Entrepreneurial Turnarounds, Events, Franchise Ownership & Growth Strategy, Leadership Development, Mindset & Peak Performance, Multi Unit Franchise Owner, Operations, Public Speaking & Thought Leadership, Scaling with Freedom, Strategic Problem Solving, Succession & Exit Planning

In 2023, I traveled with a friend to Johannesburg, South Africa, for her TEDx talk. I was completely drawn in by the entire process: the intense preparation, the tech setup, and the sheer passion of every speaker. But what really hit home were the ideas themselves—ideas truly worth spreading. Those talks didn’t just impress me; they changed how I saw the world. I knew I had to bring TEDx home to Oconomowoc, Wisconsin. Over the next nine months, I secured a license, rallied local collaborators, and found top-tier speakers. On October 18, 2025, we held Oconomowoc’s first TEDx. It all started with that spark of inspiration in Johannesburg, and we made it real.

People often assume I don’t know how to slow down — that I’m wired to go, build, and fix around the clock. The truth is, I had to learn the hard way that slowing down isn’t weakness — it’s wisdom. It’s what gives me the clarity to move with purpose instead of pressure. Some think I’m not good at asking for help because I’m the one others call when things go sideways. But the truth is, my biggest breakthroughs came when I stopped trying to be the smartest person in the room and started being the most coachable. I’ve also been labeled a control freak — which makes me laugh a little, because my entire philosophy is about letting go of control. I build systems so I can release it. Freedom is the goal, not more management. People sometimes see my confidence and assume I don’t wrestle with doubt or fear. I do. I just learned to move forward anyway. Vulnerability isn’t something I hide; it’s something I turn into momentum. And yeah, I have high standards. That can make me seem intense or hard to please. But it’s not about perfection — it’s about potential. I don’t care if you fall short; I care that you keep climbing. The biggest misconception, though, is that I’m all business and no emotion. The truth is, everything I teach — every system, every principle — comes from a place of deep care. I don’t build systems to make life colder. I build them to make life work.