Digital Social Hour | DSH #1438

Guest: Mikael "Mikey" Michelle

Episode Title: From Waitress to Power Slap Star: Her Inspiring Journey
Host: Sean Kelly
Release Date: July 8, 2025

Episode Overview

In this episode of Digital Social Hour, host Sean Kelly sits down with Mikael "Mikey" Michelle, a rising star in the world of Power Slap fighting. Mikey opens up about her unconventional transition from working as a waitress to becoming a prominent female competitor in the Power Slap league. She candidly discusses her background, mental health struggles, rapid rise to fame, the unique challenges of her sport, and her goals for the future. The conversation blends humor, honesty, and inspiration, making it a compelling listen for anyone interested in stories of resilience and reinvention.

Main Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Power Slap Journey

• Getting Into Power Slap:
  • Mikey initially wanted to break into commentating for MMA, discovered Power Slap, and quickly shifted from observer to competitor:

    "I thought I could start at Power Slap and commentate. Then I saw the girls do it and... I can absolutely take one of those slaps. So I was like, okay, I'll do one. See how it works. And that's it. Just one. And now, I'm on my third one. Next in line for the first female title. So crazy. I ended up loving it." (01:38)

• Mental Toughness Over Physical Strength:
  • Mikey emphasizes the psychological challenge of competing:

    "I think the mental toughness is way harder than the physical strength. I'm pretty confident in not getting knocked out. But to mentally know, especially for the weeks leading up to it, I’m about to get on stage in front of all these people, and if I get knocked out, it's going viral." (02:41)

2. Rules and Details of Power Slap

• No Female Knockouts Yet:

    > "There's not really been a legit female knockout yet. So the first one is... it's not going to be me, I hope." (03:03)
  

• Precision and Rules:
  • Being accurate is critical, as fouls can cause a match to end prematurely:

    "If you get fouled twice, then it's over." (03:50)

  • "That's one of the main things I work on, because you can't work on too much else. So I just make sure I focus and hit the same spot every time." (04:00)

• Match Structure:
  • Three slaps per match, except for title fights which have five:

    "I think three is good. After the third one, I’m done for sure. The title, it is five." (04:24)

3. Transition from 9-5 Life to Viral Athlete

• Personal & Career Transformation:
  • Less than a year ago, Mikey was working multiple service jobs and struggling:

    "I had two jobs, mentally super unhealthy. I just knew that the 9 to 5 life wasn’t for me... I really worked on myself for about a year, just mentally getting right... all the hard work that I did for a year showed up." (10:10)

  • Now, Mikey is poised to become the face of Power Slap's female division:

    "Just in two months went from full time waitress to... now I get to live out my dream." (11:43)

4. Dealing with Sudden Fame

• Adjusting to Public Attention:
  • Mikey reflects on the surreal experience of rapid recognition following viral moments and high-profile matches:

    "It's gotten so big just in the last two months... so the fact I’m just starting and everything is so big. I’m super excited to see like what the future few months to a year holds." (08:49)

• Building Her Brand with Passes:
  • Rejected OnlyFans due to stigma, instead choosing to partner with Passes, a female-founded creator platform:

    "Only Fans has such a stigma... So I went with Passes and I’m really happy. They’ve kind of built a team around me and I’m excited." (07:05)

5. Family, Upbringing & Mexican Jail Story

• Support System:
  • Mikey credits her supportive family and friends, but admits her parents weren’t sure about Power Slap at first:

    "My parents thought the Power Slap was a little crazy at first, but when I explained to them it’s more than just getting on stage, they’ve been super, super supportive since." (13:07)

• Wild Family Anecdotes – Mexican Jail:
  • Mikey shares a dramatic story about intervening in a fight to protect her father in Mexico, which led to both being arrested due to language barriers:

    "So I start beating the girlfriend up... the Federales get there... they just decided they were taking us to jail. And then they took us an hour outside of Cabo... My dad looks over and he goes, 'I think that's the most proud of you I've ever been because you stuck up for me.'" (15:07-16:41)

6. Violence, Self-Defense, and Life Lessons

• Grew Up Learning to Defend Herself:
  • Her father, a former hockey player, taught her to handle herself physically:

    "He definitely raised me with the idea that violence is the answer, because if you punch someone in the mouth, they usually stop doing whatever they were doing." (00:08, 17:42)

  • "He’d put the hockey gloves on me and teach me how to start punching... He’s like, 'you never grab the hair... you grab them right here on the front of the shirt.'" (19:14)

• Taking Stands in School and on the Street:
  • As a teenager, she protected friends from bullies, going viral on World Star Hip Hop:

    "In high school, I actually was on World Star... This girl was just picking on all the girls in the school and wouldn’t leave my friend alone... I was just gonna say something and it ended up being a fight... I wrote her an apology note... and then she made fun of me on Twitter." (18:22-19:01)

7. Future Aspirations and Fighting Heroes

• Plans to Expand Beyond Power Slap:
  • Strong interest in transitioning to MMA and possibly boxing:

    "I love fighting as well, so, you know, I’m gonna do both." (22:54)
    "I definitely will probably box a few times... But I see myself overall being an MMA fighter." (23:05)

• Fighter Role Models:
  • Favorite male MMA fighters: Charles Oliveira and Alex Pereira (21:21, 21:39)
  • Female GOAT pick: Amanda Nunes; Inspired by current champion Zhang Weili:

    "She throws and I love how tough she is... I definitely want to model my fight style after her." (22:42)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Mental Toughness:

  "I think the mental toughness is way harder than the physical strength. I'm pretty confident in not getting knocked out. But to mentally know...I'm about to get on stage in front of all these people, and if I get knocked out, it's going viral."
  — Mikey (02:41)

• On Career Transformation:

  "Just in two months, went from full-time waitress to... now I get to live out my dream."
  — Mikey (11:43)

• On Rejecting OnlyFans:

  "Only Fans has such a stigma to it... I just really don’t want to be tied to that. So I went with Passes and I’m really happy."
  — Mikey (07:05)

• On Family Support:

  “My dad looks over and he goes, ‘I think that’s the most proud of you I’ve ever been because you stuck up for me.’”
  — Mikey (16:39)

• On Violence as a Tool:

  "If you punch someone in the mouth, they usually stop doing whatever they were doing."
  — Mikey (00:08, 17:42)

• On Being a Role Model:

  "Now I'm my own person and I get to see success in power slap and outside of power slap as well."
  — Mikey (11:21)

• On Her Unique Type:

  "Especially like being a power slapper, I’m a little masculine myself and training and fighting, so I need a masculine man... So the cauliflower ear is just like. All right, off the bat. Yes."
  — Mikey (20:57)

Segment Timestamps for Key Topics

| Topic | Timestamp | |-----------------------------------------|------------------| | Mental toughness in Power Slap | 02:41 | | Path from waitress to athlete | 10:10 – 11:43 | | First experience with viral success | 08:49 – 09:18 | | Mexican jail story | 15:07 – 16:41 | | Self-defense lessons from her dad | 17:20 – 19:14 | | High school fight & World Star moment | 18:22 – 19:01 | | Her choice of Passes over OnlyFans | 07:05 – 07:44 | | Future in MMA and fighting inspirations | 21:21 – 23:26 |

Closing Thoughts

Mikael Michelle’s candid conversation with Sean Kelly is a captivating blueprint for anyone looking for the courage to chase unconventional dreams. From fighting mental health battles and living paycheck to paycheck, to finding her niche in a daring new sport and plotting a future in MMA, Mikey’s journey is a testament to grit, adaptability, and self-belief. Her blend of humor, authenticity, and self-awareness stands out, offering both inspiration and entertainment.

Follow Mikey's journey and see her behind-the-scenes prep, Vegas lifestyle, and fighting career on social media and her Passes account. (23:32)