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Sean Michael Crane's Unstoppable Mindset
Sean Crane shares his story of Redemption and how his struggles early on in life helped him develop a mindset and perspective that he has used to cultivate the life of his dreams. Sean walks you through his most gruesome moments from seeing his mother overdose as a kid to watching his father in a standoff with police. After years of experiencing a living hell Sean was arrested and faced life in prison. Sean shares the most impactful moments behind bars and how they changed his life forever. After 5 1/2 years incarcerated Sean returned home a different person with a compelling vision to inspire the world. Now, a family man, successful entrepreneur and person of influence, Sean is on a mission to spread his message and impact lives across the globe with his lessons and the same breakthroughs that have helped him in his life to this point.
Sean Michael Crane's Unstoppable Mindset
Shot & Left For Dead with Michael Venidis
Have you ever wondered how some individuals transform their darkest moments into a beacon of hope for others? Meet Michael "Mikey" Vanitas, whose life took a dramatic turn on January 6th, 2012, after surviving a perilous encounter with a 13-year-old assailant in downtown Phoenix. With raw authenticity, Mikey recounts the critical moments of that day, the fear of bleeding out alone in a park, and the miraculous intervention that saved his life. His gripping narrative is a testament to the human spirit's power to endure and inspire, especially when life's fragility becomes unbearably real.
As Mikey shares his journey, you'll hear how he shifted from being a musician to becoming a beacon of hope and resilience for others. His transformation from anger to forgiveness is moving, illustrating how he rebuilt his life with newfound purpose and gratitude. Mikey's story doesn't shy away from the pain and struggles of recovery but highlights how these trials forged his character and led him to leave the music industry for more meaningful pursuits. Through his experiences, Mikey emphasizes the importance of authenticity, human connections, and the profound impact of sharing one's truth to inspire change.
This episode is more than just a survival story; it's a call to action for anyone facing their own battles. Mikey's journey reminds us that hardships don't define us—our responses do. From speaking at juvenile detention centers to spreading messages of resilience through various platforms, Mikey's mission is clear: to uplift and inspire. Learn how his experiences can offer hope to those feeling trapped by their circumstances, and discover how embracing vulnerability and gratitude can lead to a fulfilling and impactful life. Tune in to hear more about Mikey's upcoming projects and how you, too, can strive for greatness, no matter the odds.
Welcome back to another episode of the Unstoppable Mindset Podcast. I'm your host, shawn Michael Crane. We're here at the beautiful HQ the Unstoppable HQ in downtown Santa Barbara, california, and, man, I got my boy, michael Vanitas, here with me in the studio. Today we're going to do a live in-person interview. So, michael, thank you, and he likes me to call him Mikey. I call him Michael. You know I'm a little more formal, but Mikey came out here from Arizona.
Speaker 2:Thank you for being here today, bro, Thank you for having me Seriously. Thank you.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so Mikey and I have been working together, together on a lot of stuff for the past year. Uh, things related to getting his story and message out to the world, because he's got an incredible story and an incredible message, like we're gonna hear from what? From what he was just doing the past couple days here in california but really where his journey begins and everybody has a story, man, like, some peoples are more compelling than others, but when you share your story openly and authentically like Mikey does online, on Facebook, on Instagram like you not only create hope for other people but you inspire other people to go after their dreams too, like that's the whole reason I started coaching and speaking. So, anytime I see someone else who wants to change the world, like myself, I love getting to collaborate with them and work with them. Um, because I'm just one guy, like I'm not going to change the world by myself, but with Mikey, another world changes by my side. It's possible, you know.
Speaker 1:So, mikey, where do you want to start? Man, first of all, like, before we start from the beginning, let the audience know what you were doing here in California this week. I think it was really special what you just got to experience. Why don't you open up with that?
Speaker 2:Yeah, man, I appreciate that. Giving me an opportunity to share that. It's an incredible feeling. I came here into town, flew into Orange County, because I was presented a life-changing opportunity. I got to go into the Orange County Juvenile Detention Center and share a little bit about my story and what happened to me, with the hopes of making a difference and inspiring them to make better choices in their lives. Like you said, sean, you want to change the world, man, I want to change it too. That's why we're here together, and I think that the most qualified people in the world to help us change it.
Speaker 1:We're sitting in those cells. Wow, that's incredible. Why do you want to change the world?
Speaker 2:It's about heart, it's about passion, it's about purpose, you know, and I think when you have a close call with death, you become so obsessed with making sure that you have purpose, passion, intent, living with intention. And I think that the best way to really fill that cup is to make a difference for other people and to live a servant mentality mentality.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, I mean it's, it's interesting and it makes sense. But people that go through the hardest times in life if they don't become victims of circumstance or just completely fall apart they find a deeper purpose behind their life in those experiences, right? So, like Mikey, what happened, man Cause you said a near death experience Like why don't you take us back to the beginning, man, of your journey, when you started? What got you to this point?
Speaker 2:Yeah, man, january 6th 2012,. I was at an art walk downtown and I was shot two times in an attempted robbery and left for dead. As the story evolved, we eventually found out that it was gang-affiliated. But 13 years old man, 13 years old, this kid shot me twice the leg, the stomach, and I think that's where it struck a chord with me. Man, I was like he's 13. He's got his whole life ahead of him. Like, how did he end up here? Why would he do this? You know, and for many, many years, like, I was worried about if I'm so vocal about this, is it like a pity party? Is it a woe is me thing, you know? So here we are, like 12 years later, and like, with the help of you, you know, I've been more comfortable focusing on the lives I can impact and less about what anyone else thinks. You know, and I've spent this last year really trying to share this story and get it out there, with the hopes of helping you know and getting youth back on the right track.
Speaker 1:Wow. So where were you when this took place, when you got shot Like what state? What city?
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, downtown Phoenix. This is on Central and Roosevelt. It all started on it's funny, I remember it like it was yesterday. Man, this is like the northeast corner of Central and Roosevelt, right by the light rail, and it was kind of like, uh, like we were walking, I was with this gal and set of kids, you know, on the corner just there it's kind of like a rap battle. I know it sounds silly, but you know they're they're going back and forth and it just kind of started to heat up, um, and I had to get out of there.
Speaker 2:Man, I'm like this isn't gonna go well and I would try and convince her to come with me, but like she had a lot to drink and she was not cooperating, you know, and like I it is what it is like, I can't force somebody to do something. So I started kind of taking off and as I was walking through the park, you know, back to my car, somebody came up to me it was just the two of us in a park late at night and, you know, tells me to turn around, give him my wallet, but I don't have it. And when he says, give me the iPhone, I just thought it was strange. You know, I'm like how do you know that it is an iPhone? And you know, like I think that was the moment that I could look into his eyes, because he had a bandana over his face and I'm like this is the kid from the corner, like he followed me down into the park. Um, you know, and and the rest went from there.
Speaker 1:So what happened? He did, you give him your iPhone.
Speaker 2:Yeah. So you know I pulled it out and I don't know where I had a sense of bravery. You know, I still think about this to this day because it all happened so fast. But, like when you have a gun in your face, I still somehow had the courage to say I don't know why you want this, like it has a tracker on it. I don't know if it's because I knew these kids were younger and I don't know if it's because I knew these kids were younger, but I go to hand the phone over to him and it just went south real fast.
Speaker 2:I think something about my attitude and how I chose to make that remark caused him to just shoot the gun, and sometimes I wonder if he did it on accident, because it goes pop, pop, like he hits me twice, once goes to the leg, um, and then my natural instinct is to lunge at him, you know. So as I go to lunge at him, it's like to push this gun away. I end up taking another shot to the stomach and that's that's when it all just starts. You know, like it was such a shocking experience. It all happened so fast that I don't know why, but it was strange, like for some. It all happened so fast that I don't know why, but it was strange, like for some reason I thought I got shot with like a beanbag or like a rubber bullet, I don't know why. Yeah, I was going to ask you that.
Speaker 1:So okay, so he, he might've accidentally shot you, cause you're saying your hand in the phone to him and then all of a sudden you get shot in the leg and your instinct is to then lunge at him and that's when you get shot again. And I'm assuming this is just happening so fast. Yeah, so you didn't feel the pain at first, like it felt like a beanbag or you felt something, but it wasn't like this horrific pain.
Speaker 2:No, the best way to describe it is you just instantly lose air. It's like gasping. Imagine just taking a major blow to the stomach and every breath you had goes out the window. So the first instinct is you don't really feel a sharp pain or anything because it happens so fast. You know, it's like this giant gasp, like you're trying to get air and you can't um, and then there's like a cramp, almost like a warm cramping emotion or a feeling, um, and then it just kind of slowly escalated from there. Like I, I had enough time to to go, I'm like I'm gonna try and get back up. And when I had touched my stomach and seen my hand covered in blood, that's when I'm like oh, oh, shit, like I, I actually got shot.
Speaker 2:This is really happening and it's like the the minute that that your mind and your body process is what just went down. Then the pain just goes from zero to 100. And it's like a cramp that won't go away. So I kind of you know it's almost like I curled up into a ball on the grass and the feeling is just it's overwhelming. You know, like it's such a unique feeling that you don't know. You're like is this death? What is this what is going on and all I knew in that moment. I don't still some of these things. I don't know why, but it's what I did is I called my mother and I left her a voicemail. I still have that voicemail to this day, like it sounds strange, but I'll listen to it at least, like once a quarter every year, to humble myself and like remind myself that you can't lose gratitude, like don't go back into a normal life, you know what do you say in the, in the?
Speaker 2:message. I mean I was crying um and I and I said I just want you to know what happened and a lot of that's like it's traumatic did you think you were dying?
Speaker 1:what's that? Did you think you were dying? I?
Speaker 2:did I that? Did you think you were dying? I did, I did. And I think my biggest fear is I just didn't want her to not know what happened to me. I was more concerned about passing and her not understanding what really went down. And a lot of that came from the fact that my father died a week after my grandfather and there still wasn't real clarity on on all that. Like we knew that he had a prescription. You know that that was potentially harmful. He was a diabetic. You know my grandfather had a like a heart attack. So there just really wasn't a lot of clarity, you know, in in the why or the how, and I just man like that many guys in her life to go down like that. I just didn't want that for her. I don't know why it was important to me in that moment.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so there's a lot to unpack here. This is crazy. So what happened when you lunged at him and you got shot the second time? Like did he run away? Yeah?
Speaker 2:Dude took off instantly and he didn't take the phone.
Speaker 1:Which makes sense, I mean instantly. And he didn't take the phone, which makes sense. I mean 13 years old, scared, you know, like probably didn't mean to shoot you. It sounds like um, and so I want to know what were you? And for people listening like so, like getting shot in a dark park and then being left and realizing that your hands covered in blood and you've been shot multiple times, I think most people would fear that they were dying. Like obviously you did. You called, called your mom, right, what were the? What were the thoughts you were having? Like what were you? Were you thinking about anything about your life or were you just completely in shock and survival mode?
Speaker 2:Completely in shock and survival mode. Um, you know, I wish that I had this crazy, powerful, passionate, compelling story of, like you know, I thought about all the things in my life and where I was, but like the truth is, it doesn't work like that. But the recovery process, you know, waking up with tubes in your throat, that's a whole different story.
Speaker 1:So you called your mom, left the message. You're sitting there bleeding, were you like putting pressure on your stomach?
Speaker 2:No, I mean I tried, but it hurt so bad, yeah, that I was more like cramping rather than trying to like hold.
Speaker 2:You know the wound, and so you were bleeding like a lot who called the ambulance, or the cops, or so I had left there for a long time how long were you there on the ground hours? Hours. And the irony in this is that the two people that were out at the art walk that night with me and you know the drunk gal were the ones that found me walking home. Wow, wild man, like still friends to this day.
Speaker 1:And they called 911?.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:So what's the you passed out or what happened?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I passed out and you remember little little moments Like I remember um, kristen was her name, she she was panicked and she thought to put pressure on it. And I remember screaming at her, I'm like. I remember yelling at her I'm like, don't do that, it hurts, you know. And I remember that. And then I think I passed out again. The next time I woke up it was the ambulance, you know, removing articles of clothing. Then I passed out again and the next time I woke up I was on the cart. They were rolling me into emergency. I remember that. I remember asking the nurse and I could see it, you know she was on my left hand side, right above my head, and I just remember asking her am I going to be OK? That's all I said. And she was really raw and honest. She goes that's the thing, buddy, we're going to figure that out. We're taking you into into surgery right now.
Speaker 1:And I passed out again, you know. And then I woke up with uh in the hospital room.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean, I've seen the pictures of you laying there with tubes in your yeah, in your throat. My sister took that picture.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I mean, that's a pretty graphic photo. Like you don't get more vulnerable and close to death than that, right. So they took you into surgery, they they repaired and fixed. Whatever was going on Was the gut shot, the one that was life-threatening?
Speaker 2:Yeah, so the life-threatening piece of it was really how long I was laying there. You know, like you can only remember pieces of it, but I read the police report front to back. You know, and that was the biggest concern for the doctors doing the operation is how long that I was left there and blood loss, things of that nature.
Speaker 1:How close to death were you?
Speaker 2:I mean, I'm not sure I would say as close as it gets. You know, in my eyes, like you live or you die. So for me, like I think it's's and I think I know what you mean, like how how much longer could I have laid there, you know, and yeah, like, did they say?
Speaker 1:like man, you lost a lot of blood.
Speaker 2:If we didn't do surgery when we did, you would have been dead uh, yeah, the police report says that if they didn't find me when they did this, this, this could have been.
Speaker 1:You would have died alone in a park yeah, and that happens to a lot of people right, they get robbed or something bad happens and they, they die alone in the park. Yeah, it's heartbreaking, that's, that's crazy. So when you came to and you were like finally aware of what happened, like what were your initial thoughts when you finally were out of surgery and woke up?
Speaker 2:yeah, um, well, my first instinct is you wake up and you don't really understand. But the most uncomfortable feeling is the tube in my throat and I also had an N I think it was an NG tube like up my nose. So the first instinct is to pull all these wires out. And I remember the nurse. I got lucky because she was actually sitting in a room when I came to and she instantly grabbed my hand. She's like don't pull, because whatever was in my throat and my nose had some kind of latch or something. So then they slowly removed the tubes and it's just a groggy feeling.
Speaker 2:I mean the amount of morphine I was on like it's very spotty. Like sometimes I feel bad because I do know that I had many visitors. Like at the time I was a front man of a semi successful rock band and like so many people would come and go and, um, social media was blowing up and I still, to this day, can't really like remember some of those people. Like it's easier to remember some because they would do these kind of things like bring me like pillows and blankets, and but like I feel bad because some people were there and I don't really remember who you know yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:So what was? How old were you when that happened? 25, 25 yeah, and how'd they? How'd they catch the guy? How'd they find out who did it?
Speaker 2:I love this question. You know the fact that he didn't run away with the phone. I was so in shock that I thought I forgot about it. The police took the phone as evidence at the crime scene. They thought there was fingerprints on it. I had confirmed with them in the hospital. He did not touch the phone, like when I went to hand it to him the gunshot went off and he never actually touched the phone. So that I would like to get that back.
Speaker 2:And this is like I don't know, two or three, four days later in the hospital I remember all excited to get my phone back and I got like connection with the world. You know, because like I just miss my people. You know, and I'm bored in the hospital bed scrolling through my photos and I see this picture. I get chills. Just saying it to you, man, because I completely forgot that I took pictures on the corner when the whole rap battle thing started going down, because I had sensed that things were going south. I texted my buddy Ricky he was the other guy with Kristen that found me in the park and I said hey, man, where are you at? Because I'm alone and the situation is not good. It's like five guys here and this girl is going to get me in trouble. So I turned the photos in. I turned the photos into the cops and they used a silent witness program in which the kid was identified instantly.
Speaker 1:Wow, what is a silent witness program? So they showed people the photos who were maybe there that night. Yeah, they probably might have had a confidential informant or someone who was.
Speaker 2:Well, so the news station. The news station picked up on it and they ran a segment on TV and they put the photo up and the police have a silent witness program where they put the photo up and you get. You get a thousand dollar reward for turning in the individual, if you can name them, so obviously I mean 13 year old kid. Yeah, so he was 13 man.
Speaker 1:That's crazy. How much time did he get? Or what happened to him?
Speaker 2:this is where he gets sad, man. I mean, he did some time locked away, um, you know, until we worked our way up to the trial and it ended up being dismissed without prejudice. And what this means is it's like saying, hey, I'm not, we're not, he's not guilty, but we're not letting this go, meaning if he gets in trouble again, we can bring this case back up and use it as support to try him next time. And a lot of that was because the state or court appointed plaintiff the person that was representing me didn't feel like we had enough evidence. What we had found out is Mary T Hans Park. The cameras weren't operating, so we didn't have anything. It was just me and him.
Speaker 2:You know, word versus word. You know, and part of this is on me. You know, because the lawyer had called me the day before we were going to court and he said I need you to be able to tell me that you're 100% positive. This is the man that shot you. And I said I'm an integrity guy, I'm telling you this is the guy that shot me, but I'm not going to tell you 100%. I'll tell you 99%. I'm like this kid's 13 years old, and you're telling me that the way that I answer this question right now defines the future of his entire life. Like what, if I am wrong, that's crazy you can't put that on me.
Speaker 2:Like you got a bandana over his head.
Speaker 1:That's crazy, though that perspective Like this guy literally almost took your life and now you're in a position where you can take his life, you can say one thing that could put him away for 20, 30 years.
Speaker 2:I mean the fact that he was 13.
Speaker 1:That was on his side. Like a lot of times juveniles, they get juvenile life, which is to 25, I believe yeah, yeah, I learned that you know but kids that go into y at 13, the statistics are not good. They don't come out and thrive, typically. Right, growing up in that environment for your adolescence, right so have you heard about this kid since then, or what's happened to him?
Speaker 2:no man. I look him up every day. I did call victim services in Maricopa County, asked if there was a way that I can, you know, run his name through the system, see if he ever got in trouble again, because it's a fear that I sleep with. You know I go to bed and I wonder, like the fact that I wasn't willing to say 100%, he got away with it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, like did he commit more crimes, Is that?
Speaker 2:on me, do that weight, you know. And then I also say like maybe, maybe he learned a lesson that day, like because I'm totally cool with being the expense if he corrected his life and he's doing greater bigger things, you know, like yeah, yeah, so how did that affect your life?
Speaker 2:like what? What changed in your life after you got shot? Oh man, it's the best thing that ever happened to me. Sean, like everything that I have today, my gratitude, my appreciation. Where I sit today, you know, successfully in business, my wife, everything, everything. I can visualize it right back to that moment in time and, like I will commonly tell people, knowing what I know today and how I can like visualize it back to that moment in time, I would gladly repeat it again. I would totally take two more bullets if I knew it was going to do for me what that's done for me today.
Speaker 1:Yeah, isn't that crazy. I mean people when they're going through adversity don't typically recognize this, but oftentimes the most difficult things you go through turn out to be the biggest blessings. They really are man and usually it's in hindsight how long did it take you to have that perspective? They really are man. And usually it's in hindsight, like how long did it take you to have that perspective? Was it instant or did it take time? It took time, like were you mad and pissed off at first.
Speaker 2:I don't think I was ever mad and pissed off.
Speaker 2:You know, being a front man of a band and having like that many people on me in a spotlight, like I knew I had the ability to make a difference and I thought that it was important to teach the world that forgiveness is essential.
Speaker 2:I'm not saying you have to forget bad things that happen, but you know, don't forgive for other people, forgive for you, you know, so that you can have a lighter soul and you can really inspire and do something for the greater good. So I think you know I got over it pretty fast. I mean, before I kind of ended my musical career, I went to a buddy and I had to record one more song and it was a song I wrote to him and I never published it. Man, it's not on iTunes with the rest of my music, it sits on SoundCloud and it is a letter to him for what he did and it was all about, you know, like I forgive you, we're good, and that was the last song I ever wrote before I closed that door and took kind of a 180 in my career.
Speaker 1:Wow, that's amazing. So what you left? Music after that, you stopped producing music. Yeah, yeah, why?
Speaker 2:You know when, when you, when you have a dance with death like that, you take time so much more seriously and I don't know why I just worked it backwards to, like man, I'm trying to build a dream and a career with like four other individuals and I have to be extremely reliant upon four other individuals and the music industry. I too, you know like it's not a knock on it, but I think it's filled with a lot of acquaintances not like true, genuine friendships. Um, you know, and I love so many people that I met from from that era, like of my, and I appreciated it, but I just felt like it was time to do something more meaningful, where I had more control, and it was just time to make a change with a new appreciation for life.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I mean, I can understand why you talk about gratitude so much.
Speaker 1:Your life was almost taken from you you know, um and I can relate to that because I know what it's like to have everything taken away what are some of the major learning lessons that you derive from that experience that have shaped your life to this day and helped you like, and what would you share with the audience, like, give some context or some substance behind what those lessons were, and maybe it was a shift in your perspective or just how you live your life, but I'd like to know what were the main ones.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean, there's so many things that I'd love to share about this, but I think the first thing is that I'm an analytical person and I was very creative, like in my music years, but as I shifted into more of like a, you know, a business mindset, I became more analytical and I've always tried to like generate this equation for life, a formula, so that other people could repeat the things that I did, so that they could benefit from it. Right Like you, try to turn it into a lesson for people, and the best way that I could describe it is that hardship creates character, character creates opportunity. It's a chance. Character was created right like through the recovery process for me, and the gym was a big thing, you know, like laying in the hospital bed for a long time. It was hard, you know, and at that time, yeah, did you have any lingering health issues.
Speaker 2:Months like I was in a wheelchair for a while. Um, I I like. One of my first goals was just to take the walker to the mailbox because I was in recovery at my mom's house and I just wanted to get the mail for her. It was like my first way of saying thank you. I'm gonna do something for you yeah, I love that yeah, just a little tiny thing, you know.
Speaker 2:And then it was like baby steps, like you gotta kind of get a momentum and go from there. You know, like the first, I used to run a three-mile trail, you know, hike Thunderbird Mountain, you know, and I can't do that anymore. So then, like I tried to, just my goal was just to get to the top with my cane, you know, I remember, though, like those little moments, but the rebound was the hardship, you know, and that's when the character was built and I wasn't perfect man, like I want that to be clear. It's not easy. Like you don't just wake up and get better. Like that year, man, I I got my first, you know, I got a dui, like I got a criminal record. I'd always been like a straight, a student, good kid, you know. So that was a like a big deal for me.
Speaker 2:You know I broke my foot like getting wasted on a stripper pole, like on my birthday. I'm not embarrassed, like we do stupid things. But like stupid things is where you learn and when you learn, you know and you have hardship. Character is made and characters will. Let me do the founders of Rhino strategic solution Like they believed in me, they gave me a chance and because you, you know, character earned me a chance.
Speaker 1:like I had mentors, I had a circle, you know yeah, yeah, I want to talk about that real quick because there's people listening right now that aren't where they want to be at in life. And you don't have to get shot like michael did or go to prison like I did to change um, but but where you're at like, recognize that that could be a stepping stone to where you want to be in life. You don't ever just wake up and have your dream life. You got to earn it, you got to work towards it right. So wherever you're at right now, do what's in front of you to the best of your ability. And I always tell people this give your best effort and have your best attitude. And if you do that every day, I don't care if you're working at 7 character like Michael just shared, and that's everything.
Speaker 1:I think people, when they find themselves in a low spot in life, they make it worse because they have a poor attitude and they don't give their best effort. And, dude, I'm telling you, you don't know who's watching you. You might be a barista at a coffee shop because you have the best attitude and you give the best effort. You might have some multimillionaire right there who's looking for an executive assistant or someone that they can teach digital marketing to, or someone that they want to take traveling around the world with them and be by their side and mentor and dude. You never know. So that's some of the best advice I can give to you.
Speaker 1:If you're a young person or you're just not where you want to be in your life, look at where you're at right now as an opportunity to get to where you want to go and make sure you're maximizing every day. That's right, right. So you came out of that experience with that perspective, like you were. You were humbled a little bit, it sounds like, but then you were immensely grateful and you thought more about your life and how you were spending every day, which is key. Like, does this serve me? Is this what I want to keep doing, or is there maybe more for me out there? Do I need to make a change? Um, and then so talk about your relationship with Chris Yano working for Rhino. Like you got to do some incredible things.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, I mean to say I'm blessed is an understatement. You know, they're incredible people and the way that I will commonly, you know, describe working for them is like they believe in people more than people believe in themselves, and they're not willing to to waver, like like there are high standards and expectations and but they believe in you and they support you every step of the way. I mean like I'll work all day and all night, you know. But here's the thing is like if I had a question, I mean anna would take a call at 11 at night, like she's like I'm with you every step of the way, like you're gonna do this, you, you're going to grow, you're going to become great, You're going to do the work, but I'll guide you, I'll support you, yeah, and just for clarity, share with the audience, like you know, rhino.
Speaker 1:Like what does that company do?
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:How successful are they Like? What do they specialize in?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I appreciate you saying that. Um rhino strategic solutions is a digital marketing company for the home services. It was founded in 2008. You know, I think we were maybe about 1 million at the time and over the course of 12 years, man, we took it. We took it up to 25 ish million and sold to private equity last year and, uh, it was. It's not to exit, it's to expedite. So we're all just trying to take this thing to the next level and do special, amazing things.
Speaker 1:Dude, that's awesome. I love that. It's no coincidence that you've, like You've, created these opportunities because you change first. Most people don't recognize this. You said earlier character building, that's right. That's why I made that comment about wherever you're at right now, look at it as an opportunity, because you're building character. When you build character and you change who you are, you change the way the world looks at you. You change the opportunities that come into your life. The law of attraction is a real thing.
Speaker 1:Oh, yeah, it is and Attraction is a real thing oh yeah, it is. And anybody out there that doesn't have the results that they want it's because you're not the right person. So what do you have to change? What habits, what environment, what relationships? You've got to make a change in the beginning to create a different outcome down the road, and so let's use this as a segue to like where you're going.
Speaker 1:Mikey, you know right now. You've been successful at Rhino. You built some relationships with some amazing people and we have a lot of mutual friends and acquaintances right in business in the home service space. Because, unstoppable, my coaching program is, like you know, the sought-after personal development program for business owners in the home service space. It just happened Like Michael and I connected on Facebook. This is the power of social media sharing content, sharing our stories, sharing our messages. And here's an example of how what I just said is true Like you become a certain person, you create opportunities. If I hadn't been sharing my story for so long on social media and been vulnerable and open and honest and developed my skill set and got more articulate over time, mikey wouldn't have looked at me as someone who was valuable or that he wanted to get to know. He wouldn't have looked at me and thought man, maybe sean can help me share my story or teach me some of the things that have worked with him on. So uh, for him on social media. But that's what happened, right that is right.
Speaker 1:And now you're here in santa barbara doing a podcast and, like dude, all this sudden stuff starts happening. He was just speaking to juveniles yesterday. Like he flew out here because there was a mutual acquaintance that I was able to connect him with that got him into the juvenile hall, that got him sharing his story, that got him sharing his message. So for those of you that want to speak or you want to get out there to the world and share your message, whatever you want to do, you're like Mikey and I and you have a heart to serve. Dude, start the process now. Build those relationships, get your message out there and use social media to tell your story. So many people want, like these, perfect reels or they're scared to tell their truth. Just start the process. Like, what would you say about that? Because you're that's where you're at on your journey. You're starting the process. You're super authentic. You're super open. Um, was it scary for you to start talking about being shot or putting yourself out there and being more vulnerable?
Speaker 2:yeah, yeah, yeah, for sure, man. I mean I, I worried a lot about what people thought. I mean you gotta think about it right, like as front man of a rock band, like what people thought was everything like my success was built upon, like their acceptance, like whether or not they liked my music, or thought we were entertaining, and you know. So it was a habit and, um, I mean I never wanted to be the pity party guy. What was me, like you know? So I didn't, I didn't talk about it, I didn't, I didn't want to make this big deal about it. My rule was that every year, on the anniversary, I would make a post about it, because I wanted to stay humble and remember what happened to me, because I just don't want to go back to taking life for granted.
Speaker 2:You know, and our connection you and I, I mean I think it's one of the greatest lessons you ever taught me, sean is, man, stop worrying about the rest of the world and focus on the people that need you right now.
Speaker 2:Like how many people get shot two times? Like how much do you really care about making a difference? And ever since we had that conversation, I said, man, like I've spent the last 10 years actually being selfish, when I didn't really look at it that way and in a minute, like when you hear what Sean is saying, like the minute you just go out there and you start speaking your truth and you start sharing your stories and you stop worrying about what people think and you're coming from the right place of opportunity and the doors that open, like to have an experience to walk into Orange County Juvenile Detention Center and be able to impact that many lives you know for the greater good was a life experience that I will never forget like a top experience of my entire life and that would have never happened, like if I didn't go and share you know my story or be more open and more comfortable about the things that I have to say. The opportunity it 10x's when you are vocal and you're open and you speak your truth.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and I think people's biggest fear is being judged by others and what they're going to think of them, one of the biggest fears. Imagine living your whole life scared of what people are thinking of you and gonna say, and then you just realize you're dying and you look back at all the shit you didn't do and you realize there was this version of yourself that you wanted to be like.
Speaker 1:We've googled it before and the biggest um regret people have on their deathbed is that they wish they had lived a life based on who they wanted to be, not to appease other. Imagine that. Imagine you're dying and you have a moment of clarity where you think about your life and you're like, oh my gosh, this wasn't the life I wanted to live yeah.
Speaker 1:And it was just because you were scared of other people and what they thought of you. Like everyone on this planet right now, in a hundred and some odd years, is going to be dead and there's going to be all new people populating the earth. You know, I saw this clip the other day and it was like Sylvester Stallone talking. He's like that house you live in, another family's going to live there. That car that you drive, that you love so much, someone else is going to drive that car. Right. Like every aspect of your life, all the material items and the things that you possess right now, other people are going to own them. That's right, you know, and is like what we did in this time and if we were able to leave a legacy for other people to remember us by. So that's why Mikey's here, cause, dude, I want to live the ultimate life. I want people to remember the things I did and what I stood for, and I want to be a source of inspiration and hope for anybody going through struggle. I want to share what I've been through and how I've been able to learn and grow from those experiences in such a way where now I can leverage them. And they were positive things, not negative things.
Speaker 1:Right, prison was a positive thing. Addiction was a positive thing. Losing my parents was a positive thing. Right, it hurts in the moment, but the lessons that I gleaned from those life experience served me to this day to be more grateful, more driven, a better husband, a better father. Like I'm, reaching for the stars, because I know what it's like to live in that despair, and that's what Mikey's sharing, like he's just getting started, and so I want you to call your shot. I want you to look in the camera, mikey, because I know what's on your heart, I know what you're going to do. I want you to look in that camera and tell the world what you're going to do and why it's important to you.
Speaker 2:My mission is to go out there and help every single person on the planet become the best version of themselves, and the reason I want to do that is so that we can help other people, because what I've learned is when we help other people, we create gratitude, purpose, intent, passion and we are happier. We live more fulfilling lives. As somebody who thought they were going to die, I really just want the rest of the world to appreciate life the way I do, because I feel like it's a gift and I want to share that gift. That's what I want, and what I would tell you is, if you listen to every single thing Sean just said, it's really simple Everything, everything in your entire life, can change in the thought of one single word. Stop asking yourself why things happen to you and start asking yourself why things happen for you.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and that's so true, and it sounds cliche to somebody who's never lived it, but that was the perspective shift that changed my whole life.
Speaker 1:Like sitting in a in a jail cell, facing life in prison, realizing that that was a life-saving experience, literally, you know, and it completely repromed my whole brain and the way I operate and the way I look at life events. But seriously, there's some people out there, like me and Mikey, that want to be top one percenters and achieve at the highest level. Not everyone's like that. My message is also for a single mom watching this that can just be better for her children, right? Or that husband that knows he can be more present and dedicated to his wife and his family when he goes home. Or like. Or that guy who's always showing up at work and he's grumpy and he's being negative around other people.
Speaker 1:Like I want to positively impact every single person to recognize that you can get better where you're at right now. You don't have to speak on stages and strive to be a nine-figure business owner Like that's what's on my heart. I'm gonna buy a private jet, a mansion on the hill, I'm gonna send my kids to private school and give them the ultimate life. Like. Those are just the goals I have, but beyond that, it's how we're able to show up for our loved ones and really the precious moments that we have with other people, because human connections and relationships is everything you know. So leaving an interaction like this, where we're both better off because we came together and shared some truth, or somebody that's listening to this, gets inspired and they go. You know what? I've got to get back in the gym, or I've got to read more books, or when I go home today I'm going to put my phone down.
Speaker 1:Like every day we can get better in every aspect of life, and I don't care where you're at. I don't care if you're washing dishes for a living or you're a bus driver. I don't care if you're in school struggling. You have all this debt. Like, don't think of what you're doing in life as negative. Look at the positives and know that everything you're experiencing is going to serve you if you open your mind to the lessons that are right in front of you. Like that's the biggest thing I want people to take from this. Sometimes it takes being shot. Sometimes it takes going to prison. Right, thank God we went through that stuff, because I don't think I would have learned had I not gone through that that set of circumstances right you know and now we get to share it with you guys, so you don't have to go through these same hardships.
Speaker 1:You can change right now. And here's the thing I tell everyone. This is the number one lesson prison taught me. Inside of all of us is this truth about who we want to be. You have this moral compass, this intuition, if you just trust and believe in that voice within you and let that guide you down a path in life that you know you want to go down and you're courageous and open-minded and willing to take each step and keep moving forward. Oh my gosh, you're going to live the ultimate life, and everyone's is different. It's not about money and stuff For everybody. For some people it is. For some people it's about being fit and athletic. For other people, you know, they have a different image and vision of what their ultimate life is like or should be like. But it's for you, dude, that's your life. So me and Mikey aren't here to tell you how to live. We're here to help you find that truth within you and muster up the courage to go after it Because, dude, I don't want to get to the end of my life and have regrets.
Speaker 1:I don't want to get to the end of my life and think, what if that's torture? And how many people do you think right now are on that path? We got to save them, we got to reach them. And I always say this I want to change the world, but I'm just one man. Mikey wants to change the world. He's just one man, but together we combine forces and we create a ripple effect and we inspire the next man, the next woman, and they inspire their children and their community, and they inspire their children and their community. That's when we're going to elevate, you know, the collective consciousness and the standards throughout our country, and that's what we need right now, right? So, mikey, you're a stud man and we're just getting started on this journey and what you're going to be doing, you're already speaking on stages, like you're sharing your story on social media. You're crushing it in business. Share with the audience where they could find you as well, so they could start following you along on your journey.
Speaker 2:Yeah, thank you, man, thank you.
Speaker 1:And he needs to have his podcast and a YouTube channel coming soon. Right, we talked about that and a book, be on the lookout for this guy. But share with them where they can find you.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you're right. Hey, you say call shots, call those shots, man there's.
Speaker 1:I tell these people I'm buying a private jet. I decided that the other day so I could take my family On every trip, every conference. It's not because I want to flash and flaunt, say I got a private jet, like that'd be dope. I want to pull up to the airport and take my wife and kids Right on the jet and have comfort and take them everywhere With me. Like I just realized a long time ago, the bigger you dream, the farther you go, and all the things I dreamt about in prison are my reality now, like it works. So now I'm going to dream bigger and I'm going to work harder and watch what I do in the next 10 years right, yeah.
Speaker 2:But yeah call your shot and share where they could find you. And it's a good dream, man. Private jet is a hell of an experience, and that's just one thing you know, like dude.
Speaker 1:Honestly, here's the thing my daughter's. We put the sing soundtrack on the cartoon movie and we sing the songs together. We talk about life Like dude. Those are the moments I cherish the most. I walk with her and hold her hand and take her into kindergarten, spend about five, ten minutes talking with her and the other kids and the teachers.
Speaker 1:Dude, that's the stuff I dreamt of, bro, you know, like giving my kids and my family the ultimate life. So the jet, the school, the home, those are things, but it's about the impact and and like literally the experiences we have, like that's. That's why we start this journey, so that there's no limitations. And if I wanted to send her to a different school, I could. If I wanted the homeschooler, I could. If I wanted to move to New York or Maui or Taiwan, I could. Like I don't want to live in the world of limitations, but most people's limitations are here, bro.
Speaker 2:It is, I mean listen like you don't count your dollars on your deathbed. That's the thing that I constantly say to everybody. Right, the gift that I had is like I thought I was dying and I didn't think about money. You know, like it's a tool and the things that you want to do and accomplish in your life. It's a tool, but it's the purpose, the heart, the passion, the emotions. The heart, the passion, the emotions the feelings the amazing things you're describing that really matter.
Speaker 1:I never want to be someone that makes excuses and I never want to be someone to say, oh, I can't afford that. Like. I heard that growing up and I look at other men and I talk to a lot of men every day who want coaching or they want to level up and grow in their life, and when it comes time to make a commitment, they say, oh, I can't afford that. Like, I never, never want to say those fucking words. I never want to tell my kids, oh, we can't do that, we can't afford that. Like, no, like. If you earn it, yeah, you can have it.
Speaker 1:You got to work hard for I'm going to teach them how to achieve in life, but I'm never going to be someone that lets money stop me from creating real opportunities and impact. That's how I got here, man. Like, I got out of prison with 200 to my name and I found ways to invest in myself. I found ways to hire coaches and get in the right rooms. I'm never going to be one of those guys that live in a world of limitations, whether it's my own excuses, money, time, all this BS. You've got to find a way to win and you've got to find a way to move towards the life you want, never backwards, never stagnant.
Speaker 2:Listen. I have to say, guys, what I had learned when we built Rhino over the last 12 years is that I love building people. I realized in my heart that Rhino is so great and what we're able to do is so great because of the people that work within the company. You know 100 plus employees that are passionate, and they're passionate and they're incredible because we do things for the right reasons and we build people and believe in them the same way the founders believed in me, you know. So that's where my passion is and that's why I want to get out there.
Speaker 2:I live my life on the record Like I just want to take it beyond the walls of Rhino. You know the mission of Rhino to give back, to do the right thing. You know, like I want that to carry on far beyond. You know a digital marketing agency and you know I want to change the world for the right reasons. So please follow me. Facebook is where I do the majority of my stuff. I put everything like stories all day, post all day. Instagram, linkedin, tiktok you name it. Like I'm everywhere. Just look me up, mike Vanitas. There's only one, vanitas, and I want to be there. I want to be with you, I want to help you and I want to inspire you and I just want you to live, and live with heart.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I love that and it sounds like Vanaditas. I always call him Michael Vanaditas. It's Michael Vanaditas, mikey Vanaditas We'll put his name in the description and tag you and all this stuff. Man, but getting to build a relationship and see this guy grow over the last, you know, eight months, it's been incredible. I love seeing people who who admit who they want to be and they have the courage to go after that. That vision, you know, like dude, that brought you into a juvenile detention center today, and you don't know the impact you had on those kids. You might've changed someone's life forever. Right, and it's because you're being courageous and you're following that path in your heart that you're being called to take. So any last words, any any like you just shared a really good message, but anything else you want to share before we cap this episode?
Speaker 2:Well for the kids, man, I just want, I want the world to know like I saw it with my own eyes. They, they want help, they want to change. You know there's so many people in there that need us. They need the best version of us, you know, and that's why it's important to really, really lean into these things that Sean and I are trying to teach you guys. But the only message I have is a message of gratitude, and it's to you. I just want to say thank you for believing in me and thinking that I have a message worth sharing on your podcast.
Speaker 1:And it's been an honor and a pleasure to be here, and I'm grateful for you, dude. Absolutely, brother, got a lot of love for you. And this is just the beginning. You're going to see Mikey everywhere Podcast coming soon. Youtube channel book, big stages watch mark my words.
Speaker 1:So, you guys, if this episode was valuable for you, whether you're seeing it on social media platforms, youtube or listening to the audio version Share it with somebody. Share it with somebody who thinks that their life's so horrible. Right, mikey was shot. I was facing life in prison. We're here to tell the story, like it doesn't matter what you go through. It's how you react to these life circumstances that dictate who you become and really the life you're going to live. And I'm here to tell you that all the tough times you've gone through can actually serve and help you if you're able to change your perspective, like we've been able to. So keep following us, watch our content on social media and share it with other people, man, because, like, we need other people to be inspired and know that they're fully capable to achieve at a high level, and they need to hear these messages from people who have done it. So they have that proof, right. So thank you guys for following and supporting. Give Mikey a follow as well and we'll.
