AI, Cycles, and Preparing for Disruption

Mike Seckler entered entrepreneurship with no business background or playbook. When the dot-com crash hit, competitors disappeared overnight, capital vanished, and survival came down to making fast, uncomfortable decisions. In the middle of the chaos, Mike developed a skill most founders never build: intellectual stamina. The ability to absorb new information, pivot decisively, and rework a vision without panic or ego. Those lessons shaped the leader he is today as CEO of Justworks.In this episode, Mike shares how entrepreneurs can survive brutal business cycles, prepare for unforeseen moments, and build resilient, customer-obsessed companies that last.

In this episode, Hala and Mike will discuss:

(00:00) Introduction

(03:05) His Unlikely Path to Entrepreneurship

(09:20) Surviving the Dot-Com Market Crash

(12:50) Intellectual Stamina: The Pivoting Framework

(18:48) Joining Justworks and Leadership Approach

(23:44) Building Effective Advisory Boards for Entrepreneurs

(28:15) Customer Obsession as a Business Principle

(36:57) Mission, Values, and Culture at Justworks

(44:02) How Leaders Shape Employee Engagement

(49:57) Managing Risk During Rapid Business Growth

(53:57) Entrepreneurship Insights and Final Thoughts

Mike Seckler is the CEO of Justworks, a leading HR technology company dedicated to empowering small businesses. A seasoned entrepreneur, he has built and scaled multiple technology companies through volatile market cycles, including EmployeeEASE, which was acquired by ADP, and Euclidean Technologies, an investment management firm powered by machine learning. Mike also serves on multiple boards and is passionate about helping entrepreneurs build customer-obsessed, mission-driven companies.

Sponsored By:

Indeed - Get a $75 sponsored job credit to boost your job's visibility at Indeed.com/profiting

Shopify - Start your $1/month trial at Shopify.com/profiting.

Spectrum Business - Visit Spectrum.com/FreeForLife to learn how you can get Business Internet Free Forever.

Northwest Registered Agent - Build your brand and get your complete business identity in just 10 clicks and 10 minutes at northwestregisteredagent.com/paidyap

Framer - Publish beautiful and production-ready websites. Go to Framer.com/profiting and get 30% off their Framer Pro annual plan.

Quo - Run your business communications the smart way. Try Quo for free, plus get 20% off your first 6 months when you go to quo.com/profiting

Working Genius - Take the Working Genius assessment and discover your natural gifts and thrive at work. Go to workinggenius.com and get 20% off with code PROFITING

Experian - Manage and cancel your unwanted subscriptions and reduce your bills. Get started now with the Experian App and let your Big Financial Friend do the work for you.

Huel -  Get all the daily nutrients you need with Huel. Grab Huel today and get 15% OFF with my code PROFITING at huel.com/PROFITING.

Resources Mentioned:

Mike’s LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/mikeseckler 

Justworks Website: justworks.com/

Active Deals - youngandprofiting.com/deals 

Key YAP Links

Reviews - ratethispodcast.com/yap

YouTube - youtube.com/c/YoungandProfiting

Newsletter - youngandprofiting.co/newsletter 

LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/htaha/

Instagram - instagram.com/yapwithhala/

Social + Podcast Services: yapmedia.com

Transcripts - youngandprofiting.com/episodes-new 

Entrepreneurship, Entrepreneurship Podcast, Business, Business Podcast, Self Improvement, Self-Improvement, Personal Development, Starting a Business, Strategy, Investing, Sales, Selling, Psychology, Productivity, Entrepreneurs, AI, Artificial Intelligence, Technology, Marketing, Negotiation, Money, Finance, Side Hustle, Startup, Mental Health, Career, Leadership, Mindset, Health, Growth Mindset, Passive Income, Online Business, Solopreneur, Founder, Networking