Summary5 min read

Podcast Summary: “Embracing Resilience & Conquering Entrepreneurial Challenges”

Kreatures Of Habit Podcast
Host: Michael Chernow
Episode: Monday Moments (May 11, 2026)

Overview of the Episode

In this solo “Monday Moments” episode, host Michael Chernow delivers an unfiltered reflection on the realities of entrepreneurship, focusing on the emotional turbulence, relentless resilience, and unwavering mindset required to survive – and thrive – as a business owner. Drawing on his 17 years of personal experience, Michael explores the daily battles entrepreneurs face, the value of routine, and the one “perfect” habit he teaches his children: always getting back up after setbacks.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Non-Stop Rollercoaster of Entrepreneurship

Emotional Highs & Lows:
Michael candidly describes the unpredictable nature of running a business, the frequent “flying close to the sun” moments, and the ever-present need to scramble to keep things afloat.

“In many cases, as an entrepreneur, you fly very, very close to the sun. … Everything is firing on all cylinders, and then all of a sudden, it could just stop firing, and you have to figure out what’s wrong fast.” (03:31)
Problem-Solving at the Core:
He frames business as fundamentally about solving other people’s problems:

“Entrepreneurs are born to solve problems for people. That’s what we do. And it is not always easy. As a matter of fact, it is way harder than it is easy.” (02:29)

2. The Unvarnished Truth: It’s Never “Coasting”

Constant Challenge, Never Cruise Control:
Michael asserts that “coasting” doesn’t happen in entrepreneurship, recounting multiple times he had to hustle—across all his ventures (Meatball Shop, Seamores, Kreatures of Habit)—just to stay alive.
No Entrepreneur Avoids Crisis:

“Any entrepreneur that tells you differently is lying to you. I don’t know a single entrepreneur that doesn’t have a story or many stories where it was almost the end and then out of nowhere they were able to save the day.” (06:08)

3. The Role of Routine and Habit

Daily Routines as Anchors:
Michael credits his survival—and sanity—as an entrepreneur to rigid adherence to daily routines and habits, highlighting how they buffer against chaos outside his control.

“If things are not going great, as long as I stick to my plan, my day-to-day routines, I’m going to be okay. … I don’t allow the things outside of my control to dictate, necessarily, how I feel.” (08:50)
It’s Not about Being 1% Better Every Day:
While some embrace the mantra of constant incremental improvement, Michael focuses instead on consistency and resilience.

“I don’t necessarily fall into that 1% better every single day … I’ve created a lifestyle through habit that doesn’t necessarily fluctuate with the things that I can’t control.” (08:14)

4. The “Get Back Up” Mantra

Resilience as the Only Perfect Habit:
Michael shares a nightly ritual with his sons, emphasizing what he calls the only perfect habit: getting back up after every fall.

“Every night I say to my sons before they go to bed, ‘What’s the one thing you’ve got to do perfectly, guys?’ And they say, ‘Dad, all we got to do is get back up. That’s the one thing.’” (00:01 and 12:44)
Mindset Against Quitting:
He draws a bold line between those who succeed and those who don’t.

“Most people quit. And I know for certain, I am not most people. I do not quit. I will not quit. And I know that that is a fact.” (11:18)

“Nothing else needs to be perfect. Nothing else should be perfect.” (14:01)

5. The Humanity and Identity of Entrepreneurship

Personal Identity as an Entrepreneur:
Michael positions entrepreneurship alongside being a father and husband as his most important and fulfilling titles.

“Being an entrepreneur is one of the greatest things. Outside of being a father and a husband, it’s the greatest title I have.” (13:23)
Challenge is the Draw:
He acknowledges entrepreneurship isn’t for everyone, but relishes its challenges.

“Flying close to the sun is my happy place because it’s constantly challenging, and I love challenge. I love being put to the test in anything I’m doing.” (13:42)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

“The only thing that grows without money are plants and humans, right? And animals. But like businesses need money to grow.” (10:09)
“If you can walk around with that mindset and that mentality—most people quit, and I am not most people—you have a really good shot.” (11:44)
“All you got to do is keep fighting, man. All you got to do is keep fighting. And now I know that to be true. All I got to do is keep fighting and things work out.” (15:08)
“Lucky people put themselves in lucky positions. And the lucky position is the one that never quits.” (15:27)

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Timestamp | Segment / Theme | |------------|-------------------------------------------------------------| | 00:01 | Opening mantra: “Get back up”—family ritual | | 02:00 | Business is problem-solving | | 03:31 | The reality: Flying close to the sun | | 06:08 | No entrepreneur coasts; stories of near-failure | | 08:14 | Routine over 1% improvement | | 10:09 | Money, communication, & building support networks | | 11:18 | The “I do not quit” mindset | | 12:44 | Passing on resilience to his children | | 13:23 | The identity of an entrepreneur | | 15:08 | The power of fighting & refusing to quit | | 15:27 | Creating your own “luck” by never quitting |

Episode Tone & Takeaway

Michael’s delivery is candid, earnest, and motivational. The episode serves as both a reality check and a pep talk—reminding entrepreneurs they are not alone, that adversity is normal, and the single greatest “habit” isn’t perfection, but the willingness to get back up and try again.

Key Takeaway:
Success isn’t about being perfect. It’s about getting back up, every single time—both in business and in life.

Loading summary

Transcript1 lines

[00:00]
A
Every night, I say to my sons before they go to bed, what's the one thing you've got to do perfectly, guys? And they say, dad, all we got to do is get back up. That's the one thing. Every single business, no matter the size, has highs and lows. People build businesses. People run businesses. And the kind of person that's behind a business is going to dictate how that business performs. Being an entrepreneur were warriors. Gladiators were born to fight. I don't think I would have it any other way. And so flying close to the sun is my happy place. An entrepreneur straight out of New York City. Michael Chernow. What's cracking? What up? Welcome back to the Creatures that have a podcast Monday morning. I want to talk to you guys today about entrepreneurship and the ebbs and flows and highs and lows of being an entrepreneur. Someone who has come up with an idea feels the confidence that they're able to convince other people that their idea is great. First, to potentially raise money from people to get your idea off the ground, and second, to introduce your idea to the world as a solution to someone's problem, because that is ultimately what business is, right? We're a solution to someone's problem. Someone's thirsty, we create an awesome beverage for them to drink. Someone's hungry, we create an awesome, consumable product for them to eat. Someone's sad, we create an amazing movie to put a smile on their face. Someone's angry, we create an awesome experience to make them happy. Entrepreneurs are born to solve problems for people. That's what we do. And it is not always easy. As a matter of fact, it is way harder than it is easy. And I just want to share, for all the entrepreneurs listening, that there has never been a moment in time in my 17 years in entrepreneurship that I felt like I was coasting. In many cases, as an entrepreneur, you fly very, very close to the sun. And what I mean by that is I can't tell you the amount of times when I had to scramble and hustle hard to keep the business alive. You might not think so if you're not an entrepreneur, that this happens all the time. It happened with Meatball Shop. It happened with Seymours. It happens with creatures of habit. There are some unbelievable, amazing times where it's just like everything is firing on all cylinders, and then all of a sudden, it could just stop firing, and you have to figure out what's wrong fast. A solution faster, and potentially a massive pivot in something that you thought was going so well. It's just the nature of business, right? Every single business, no matter the size, has highs and lows. And a lot of my time spent as an entrepreneur is not only just figuring out how to grow and be better, but sometimes how to just keep us going, how to keep us from failing. That's real facts, that's real truth. Any entrepreneur that tells you differently is lying to you. I don't know a single entrepreneur that doesn't have a story or many stories where it was almost the end and then out of nowhere they were able to save the day and keep the thing afloat. And that's why being an entrepreneur is so stressful. But it's also so incredible because every single day is a learning experience. Every single day you have to tap into all of your resources and try to be better. It's a metaphor for life really. I mean, I don't think in life every single day you need to be better than the day before. I don't necessarily like fall into that 1% better every single day because honestly, there are so many days that are just awesome in my life. And I'm not saying that in a cocky way. I'm saying that in like I've created a lifestyle through habit that doesn't necessarily fluctuate with the things that I can't control, right? Like if things are not going great, as long as I stick to my plan, my day to day routines, I'm going to be okay. And that's why I think I've become an entrepreneur. That's why I think I've become a successful entrepreneur. Because. Because I don't allow the things outside of my control to dictate necessarily how I feel or my vision and plan and goals as an outcome for the business. If I let the exterior emergencies, which they happen all the time, to derail me, I'd be done. I'd be done. So we fly close to the sun as entrepreneurs. A lot. A lot, a lot. And you know, a lot of the time it has to do with money. Money is a big factor in building businesses. You need money to build. It's just, you know, like, it's just what it is. You need money to build, right? The only thing that grows without money are plants and humans, right? And animals. But like businesses need money to grow. They need money to grow. And a lot of the time money is the hurdle for businesses. So you have to become great communicators and you have to be able to build a network of people that believe in you to support you. You have to have A great product, of course, great service. But if you have enough people around you that believe in you and you're able to perform and you're able to show great performance, there are people that are going to want to support you and keep pushing it forward with a great vision and plan. So, you know, sometimes I get caught as a business owner in the woes woe. In the woes woe is me. What are we gonna do? Oh, my gosh, this is scary. And then I say to myself, you know what, Mike? The one thing you gotta do perfectly is get back up. Not every day is gonna be tiptoeing in the tulips. Not every week is gonna be, you know, frolicking in the fields, right? Like, it's gonna be hard. And a lot of people quit. As a matter of fact, most people quit. Most people quit. And I know for certain, I am not most people. I do not quit. I will not quit. And I know that that is a fact. And if you can walk around with that mindset and that mentality, most people quit. And I am not most people. You have a really good shot because that people run businesses. People build businesses, people run businesses. And the kind of person that's behind a business is going to dictate how that business performs. And again, I want to put a highlight on. It's going to go up and down. You're going to have great months and really shitty months. You're going to have great years and not so great years. But that is the nature of it. You learn from the tough times. And if you have the conviction and ambition and drive to fix problems when they come, you will be okay. No matter what, you will be okay. Every night I say to my sons before they go to bed, what's the one thing you've got to do perfectly, guys in life, the one thing you got to do perfectly. And at this point, they know and they say, dad, all we got to do is get back up. That's the one thing. Everything else is. Is up for grabs. But the one thing you gotta do perfectly is get back up. So you have a bad day, you get back up tomorrow, and you play to win. You have a bad week, you get back up on Monday, and you play to win. Play to win. Being an entrepreneur is one of the greatest things. Outside of being a father and a husband. It's the greatest title I have. And you know, I always say being a father is the greatest title a man can ever achieve. Being a husband is also right up there with being a father. But Being an entrepreneur, we're warriors. Gladiators were born to fight, and I don't think I would have it any other way. And so flying close to the sun is my happy place because it's constantly challenging, and I love challenge. I love being put to the test in anything I'm doing. So being an entrepreneur is a perfect fit for me. It's not for everyone. So if you're an entrepreneur and you're listening to this and you're like, oh, my gosh, I'm so happy he's saying this. I thought I was alone. I'm here to say that you're not alone. You're not alone. All you got to do is remember the one perfect thing in life for us is to get back up. Nothing else needs to be perfect. Nothing else should be perfect. And I wish an entrepreneur took me aside when I was just starting out and said, hey, man, it's going to be okay. And it's going to feel like end of days is coming more than you'd like to think. All you got to do is keep fighting, man. All you got to do is keep fighting. And now I know that to be true. All I got to do is keep fighting and things work out. Lucky people put themselves in lucky positions. And the lucky position is the one that never quits. Never quits. How many times have you heard the story of, like, came so close to the end and then all of a sudden, no, it wasn't. All of a sudden you got the no quit. The no quit. Most people quit. Not most. Share this podcast give us a five star rating and review would mean the world. And I am so grateful for you guys for tuning in. I love doing this podcast. It's so. It's like therapy for me. Until the next one, y'. All. Peace.