
The King Within: Modern Masculinity and the Sovereign Man 144: Mike Bledsoe - Why Building Financial Leverage Holds the Key to True Wealth and Freedom
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"The barrier to entry to building a business has never been lower. The barrier to entry to making a million dollars has never been lower. And the amount of distraction that's available has never been higher," says Mike Bledsoe, entrepreneur, coach, and co-founder of Barbell Shrugged, who joins The King Within for a raw and transformative conversation on wealth, entrepreneurship, and personal evolution.
Once at the helm of one of the worldâs top fitness podcasts and several fast-growing businesses, Mike Bledsoe pulls back the curtain on his wild rideâfrom making and burning hundreds of thousands in monthly revenue, to learning the painful cost of distraction and poor focus. He shares the pivotal mindset shifts and hard-won strategies that took him from nearly losing it all to building true wealthânot just financially, but in time, opportunity, and impact. Mike Bledsoe reveals why âpassive incomeâ is a myth, how true leverage is built, and what it means to really own your life as well as your business.
Tune into The King Withinâs latest episode to hear why so many business owners get âspread too thin,â the hidden traps of entrepreneurial success, and the new skills you must master to thrive in a rapidly changing world. If youâre ready to rethink what it takes to create lasting wealthâand resilienceâthis is the episode you donât want to miss.
5 Key Takeaways
- Ditch the âjust make more moneyâ trapâmaster your numbers, cut expenses ruthlessly, and install a system like Profit First so your business actually builds wealth.
- Cap your lifestyle, automate your income to require minimal hours, and use your freed-up time to learn, experiment, and prepare for rapid changeâagility beats grinding.
- Get crystal clear on your wealth number. Identify how much you need invested to live your best life, then track all decisions against hitting that targetâclarity unlocks action.
- Shift your mindset from âriskyâ to âresponsibleââown your business, own your results, and stop outsourcing your financial future to employers or the market.
- Relentlessly upgrade your nervous system and beliefs. Adaptability, self-awareness, and nervous system regulation are your greatest assets in a world where distractions and change are acceleratingâwork on yourself as much as on your business.
Memorable Quotes
"The barrier to entry to building a business has never been lower. The barrier to making a million dollars has never been lower. And the amount of distraction that's available has never been higher."
"If you own your own business and you know your numbers, you'll know months ahead of time before you have any financial trouble. The difference is, the level of responsibility of a business owner is so much higherâit's not risky."
"This is the greatest time in history to be able to design a life that you desire. The only thing holding most people back is they don't believe it's possible for them."
Connect with Mike
Website: http://bledsoe.life/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mike_bledsoe
Mike's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/MikeBledsoe
FullStack Life on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thefullstacklife/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michael.bledsoe
X/Twitter: https://x.com/michaelbledsoe
Resources Mentioned
Profit First by Mike Michalowicz - https://amzn.to/4a3KJcg
HigherDOSE (PMF + Infrared Mat) - https://www.higherdose.com/
Onnit (Wellness & Fitness Brand) - https://www.onnit.com/
Krisstina Wise (Wealthy Wealthy Mindset & Wealth Coaching) - https://wealthywellthy.life/
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Work With Mike
(mention you saw this on the podcast for a listener-only discount)
The Grounded King (group coaching) - https://thegroundedking.com
Men of Movement Retreat - https://www.menofmovement.com/
1:1 Coaching - https://coaching.mikesalemi.io/1-1Coaching
Programs (use code 'PODCAST' for an additional 10% discount)
Kettlebell Lifestyle - https://www.kettlebelllifestyle.com/
Mastering the Kettlebell - https://www.masteringthekettlebell.com/
Athleticism for Life (Bulgarian Bag training) - https://mikesalemi.kartra.com/page/BulgarianBagProgram
Bulgarian Bag Certifications - https://coaching.mikesalemi.io/bulgarianbagcertifications
Connect with Mike
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/mike.salemi/
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@MikeSalemi
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikesalemi111/
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/mike.salemi.583
X/Twitter - https://x.com/mike_salemi
Mentioned in this episode:
The Grounded King
The Grounded King is a unique blend of an ongoing online men's group and private community with the education and frameworks to go with it. We meet 1x/week for 90 minutes, and you will get access to all of my online programs, as well as the Curriculum to go with your journey. If youâre ready to stop carrying it all alone, and start building from a place of truth and vitality, click below and Iâll send you everything you need to know.
