Mike likes coming to work. And he wants everyone around him to like it, too. His management style is to liberate talent, not constrain it. “Success is simple. Hire smart people, give them the freedom and responsibility to do their jobs, and watch the magic happen.” From Mike’s early days in journalism to now 30 years at the helm of Dixon Schwabl, great storytelling has always been his passion. “Everyone has a story to tell. I love when we can bring our clients’ stories to life in ways that make a real impact on others.”

Ask him who inspires him and you get an eclectic answer. “I always wanted to be that storyteller, that leader who had the credibility of Walter Cronkite, the quick wit of Rob Petrie from The Dick Van Dyke Show and the style of Cary Grant.” Signature double-breasted suits aside, Mike’s other passion reveals a lot about the man. “I absolutely love bowling. My father was a Classic bowler from Buffalo, so I guess it’s in my blood. There’s no pretense in a bowling alley. It doesn’t matter what you do for a living or how big your bank account is—at the bowling alley, everyone is equal and just there to have fun.”