Business
Michael “Big Mike” Danielson I have over 20 years of professional experience, including commercial banking, private client banking, wealth management banking, consumer banking, mortgage loan origination, management, and business ownership. My clients choose to work with me because I make them feel comfortable, and listen carefully. I follow-up and communicate openly and honestly. “Bank on BIG Mike” Conversation excerpts: Elzie Flenard 05:15 What motivates you to do what you do? "Big Mike" Danielson 05:19 I enjoy the effect of what I do when you make someone's dream come true. And, and I've been lending money for a long time, guys before I worked in the business element of it and lending to businesses and I used to do mortgages, and so I'd help people with their very first homes, also worked in private wealth, which was obviously people that have accumulated wealth, but not really a clue what to do with it or how to keep it going. And you know, teaching and showing them all of those things… Elzie Flenard 06:10 How do you inspire others to take risks and embrace change? "Big Mike" Danielson 06:15 It's hard, especially with a business, because you really, you have to put it all on the line, you have to be willing to lose it all, especially with business. I mean, you have an idea. you're passionate about it. I meet people all the time. They're like, this works. I believe in this. And sometimes it might not be the right time for you to do this. They might need to rethink a couple of things. Elzie Flenard 06:44 What inspired you to go into your current profession? "Big Mike" Danielson 06:48 What inspired me to get into banking and all that, you know, it's funny, I went to college UVM and I didn't really know what I wanted to do. I originally went, I was going to do pre-med because I thought I wanted to be a doctor or a chiropractor. Elzie Flenard 09:01 What was the worst mistake you recently made? "Big Mike" Danielson 09:04 Picking scissors instead of rock and ending up here? "Big Mike" Danielson 09:11 No, I'm teasing. I'm teasing. I don't make mistakes. No, I'm kidding. That's a tough question. I make a lot of mistakes all the time. It just happens. You know, you have to be, I'm gonna kind of deflect off of that. And you have to learn from what you did if you if you walk away from something. Jesus that did not go I thought it was gonna go, what do we do? What did we learn from that? What would we do differently? Or Elzie Flenard 09:54 So what's your biggest triumph? "Big Mike" Danielson 10:17 I was in the middle of talking to some people about a really important project and all of a sudden I just, I didn't really know where I was the room was really dizzy and I guess people were looking at me saw like my face like went down to the side and someone's like, something's wrong, but Big Mike and someone came over your mic. Are you all right? Do you know where you are? Elzie Flenard 14:45 Where do you even start in terms of mindset and how to get better? "Big Mike" Danielson 14:49 It's interesting, because when it happened, at first, it was panic because I didn't know like, am I? Am I gonna be able to talk again? Or is anyone gonna understand what what's going on? Am I gonna tell my wife I love or am I gonna be Do any of you know and it was very scary and then it turned into pity party for a little while of course you know like oh my god what the hell am I gonna do who's gonna hire a guy that can only multiply and can't do anything else? You know how are we going to pay for our house you know my wife put frickin house on the market you know we're just…… Elzie Flenard 16:59 What's the best advice that you have received? "Big Mike" Danielson 17:24 There's not one one thing that stands out so it's a tough question. And you know, when I wrote questions, thinking someone else is going to be up here of course.